SANGHAR, Dec 23: The irrigation officials closed the Khahi distributary on Wednesday in protest against torture of their colleagues by a local landlord.

Daroghas Ghulam Mohammad Mari and Faqir Mohammad Dars and Beldar Ibrahim Nohri accompanied by driver Haider Mohammad found during inspection on Tuesday that water was being stolen by tampering with a module of watercourse-21AL and closed it.

While they were going back, the local union council nazim and a number of other people arrived at the place. Darogha Mari and driver Mahar were taken to the union council office, beaten up and locked up in a room.

On receiving the information, SDO of Khipro Haji Khan Jamali reached Pithoro with irrigation staff and got them released. They went to the Shadi Palli police station to lodge an FIR but police refused to register it.