TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 24: At least six people were injured when police opened indiscriminate fire on a violent mob blocking Jhang-Faisalabad road to protest the alleged death of a youth in police custody.

Reports said Nawan Lahore police had arrested 22-year-old Akhtar Abbas of Chak 345-JB Langrana (Jhang), a mini-truck driver, for allegedly transporting some stolen cattle to Khushab and Mianwali. The police wanted him to identify the place where he unloaded the cattle for their recovery.

According to the victim’s relatives, police subjected the accused to severe torture. They said when police reached Waan Buchran, Mianwali, along with the handcuffed accused, he was in a critical condition due to torture and suddenly jumped in front of a running truck on the road. He died on the spot, they said.

The police tried to carry his body to Toba Tek Singh but locals gathered there and foiled their attempt. They staged a demonstration on Jhang-Faisalabad road demanding arrest of the police concerned.

The protesters blocked the road, throwing traffic out of gear and pelted the police with stones and bricks. The police then used teargas to disperse the mob but they refused to disperse.

On being informed of the incident, Waan Buchran police chased the vehicles of their Nawan Lahore colleagues and arrested Sub-Inspector Inayat Ali, SI Ashiq Hussain, two head constables and 11 constables and they were put in the lock-up.

However, the mob continued the protest which had become more violent by the time. As the mob started moving towards the police station to free some of the protesters allegedly detained there, Gojra DSP Ahmad Javed ordered the police to open fire. The police complied with the order, injuring six people, including Waqas Akram and Ali Hasan of Chak 338-JB, Zaheerul Hasan of Chak 340-JB, Shafiq of Chak 345-JB. Two of the injured were unidentified.

The protesters kept the road blocked for more than seven hours. DSP Ahmad Javed, ASI Mukhtar and three constables-- Ilyas, Abid and Azam, besides an unidentified student, also got injured.

Toba DPO Ahmad Ishaq Jehangir visited the Nawan Lahore police station and held talks with the father of the deceased youth and the representatives of the protesters and assured them that action would be taken against those responsible for the killing.

Later, the protesters dispersed and road was cleared for traffic. Police reportedly arrested four of the demonstrators but, when contacted, Nawan Lahore police did not confirm the arrest.

The DPO suspended SHO Abdul Ghafoor, while Faisalabad RPO Chaudhry Abdul Majeed appointed Langrana (Jhang) police SHO Abdul Razzaq as the acting SHO.

The DPO claimed that youth had died when he was hit by a truck while crossing the road along with a policeman at Waan Buchran.

A case has been registered against the arrested policemen under section 302, 148, 149 of the PPC and 156/D of Police Ordinance 2002.