PESHAWAR, June 7: A local court on Saturday acquitted two persons of the charges that they had killed a station house officer (SHO) during an alleged encounter with the police.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Gohar Rehman Khan pronounced that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the two accused persons -- Noor Rehman and Amanullah -- and the evidence on record could not prove their involvement in the offence.

The police had arrested the two accused on Feb 7, 2006, and claimed that they were arrested after an encounter during which two alleged anti-social elements, Akhter and Waheed, and the SHO of East Cant police station, Younas Khan, were killed.

Advocate Ijaz Khan Sabi appearing for the accused argued before the court that they were implicated in a concocted case. He contended that the police killed two innocent persons in a fake encounter.

He stated that the SHO was killed by unidentified persons when he came out of his residence in Pahari Pura area.

The counsel for the accused pointed out that a local cleric of the area, Sher Mohammad, had claimed that he had found the bullet-riddled body of the slain SHO and nobody was around after which he took it to the hospital.

Moreover, he added that two constables, Aurangzeb and Sher Rehmat, who testified against the accused, had recorded contradictory statements.

He maintained that the inhabitants of the locality where the incident had occurred had also protested against the police.