JHANG, Oct 7: Two alleged robbers got themselves released from the custody of Qadirpur police apparently by greasing the palms of the station house officer (SHO) on Monday in less than 24 hours after they were caught by the villagers and handed over to the police on Sunday.

Sources told Dawn that residents of Pabarwala village spotted the alleged robbers in Shah Allahdad graveyard on Sunday evening while preparing for robberies and they besieged them.

Though somebody informed the Qadirpur police by telephone about the presence of suspects, the police did not reach the spot despite the police station being at a distance of not more than four kilometres and a five-minute drive.

The besieged robbers also resorted to aerial firing to frighten villagers, but they remained undeterred. Ultimately, the villagers caught them by risking their lives and later handed them over to a police party, led by ASI Mazhar, which reached there more than two hours after they were informed.

On Monday morning, when a group of villagers visited the police station, they were astonished to know that the alleged robbers had been released.

ASI Mazhar told Dawn that the alleged robbers were released on the directives of SHO Rajab Khan Gadhi.

Later, SHO Gadhi said the alleged robbers were simply vagabonds or eve-teasers as no weapons were recovered from their possession. So, keeping them in the police station was pointless, the SHO said.

The villagers, however, refuted SHO’s version and said they had handed over the alleged robbers along with their weapons to the police.

A villager on the condition of anonymity said dacoity and robbery incidents were rising in the area, especially on Pabarwala-Qadirpur Road, but the police were unable to check these incidents. He said the police were also reluctant to register cases even if they were informed about such incidents.

SHOOTOUT: Two alleged dacoits were killed in a shootout with police on Monday night.