LAHORE, May 29: Three policemen were arrested for allegedly killing a farmer in Chuhng area early on Thursday.

The officials considered victim Iftikhar of Hyderi Colony as thief when he was going along with his two fellows Qurban Ali and Qurban Ahmed to get fodder from fields.

Complainant Talib Husain told Dawn that his brother Iftikhar used to cultivate land and had a cattle-haveli (outhouse).

He said three goats from outside entered his brother’s outhouse. Iftikhar and his two friends took away the three animals with them and went towards fields to bring fodder.

As they came out of the outhouse, a police vehicle approached them. ASI Akbar Ali and two constables Asad Khursheed and Mudassir interrogated them and asked to accompany them.

Iftikhar got confused and started running. Constable Mudassir fired four shots at him, killing him on the spot. The officials captured two others.

Saddar division SP Faisal Ali Raja, however, told this correspondent that the accused were taking away the three goats, but the constable should not have opened fire on the `thief.’

He claimed that the policemen had been arrested and a murder case registered against them.

He, however, said not a single theft case was traced against the three `thieves.’