GUJAR KHAN, Sept 7: The relatives and neighbours of a man allegedly killed by the Chakwal police staged a protest demonstration when the body was shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Gujar Khan on Tuesday.

Sub-Inspector Mohammad Akram, in-charge Mulaial Mughlan police post of Dhuman police, reported to the Jatli police at 5.30am on Tuesday that Talat Mahmood, a resident of Ghigi Chabbar in the precincts of Sohawa police, had been arrested by the Dhuman police in connection with a motorbike snatching case on Sept 6. The accused told the police that the snatched motorbike was parked at the house of his friend Zameer alias Jhalla in the Sihala Minhas village. The SI stated in the FIR that a police team arranged a telephonic talk between Talat and Jhalla, who was unaware of the arrest of the former. Talat asked Jhalla to come to the PSO filling station at Sohawa-Chakwal road in the jurisdiction of Chakwal.

ASI Mohammad Riaz, constables Jehanzeb and Jamshaid Azam along with Talat reached the filling station. In the meantime, SHO Talagang Azhar Hussain Shah, head constable Sajjad Haider, constables Nadeem Qammar and Asif Kiani also arrived there. Jhalla accompanied by another man riding a bicycle turned up there but on seeing the police escaped leaving the cycle behind. SI Akram said: “Constable Kiani chased the two persons in the fields but they succeeded in making good their escape and I took back Talat to the police post Malial Mughalan. At about 2am, Constable Sajjad Haider of informed me on the telephone that Kiani while chasing the man had fired 'into the air' after which Jhalla fell in the crop fields.”

The SI said he along with other policemen reached the spot near Kharaali Bangial in the jurisdiction of the Jatli police and found the body of Jhalla in the fields. There was a mark of bullet injury to his back.

The body was shifted to the THQ hospital Gujar Khan reportedly by the Malaial Mughalan police while the incident was reported to the Jatli police at 5.50am on Tuesday.

The heirs of the victim and residents of the area reached the hospital and blocked the road and chanted slogans against the Chakwal police.

Raja Amjad, SP Saddar Rawalpindi, also reached here and after negotiating with the protesters shifted the body to the District Headquarters Hospital Rawalpindi for postmortem.

The SI Mohammad Akram, when contacted by this reporter to enquire why the heirs of the victim had not been informed timely about his death, disconnected the call and later did not respond.

It needs an inquiry that how the fire shot by the constable went unheard by the raiding party that was, according to the FIR, headed by the complaint official Mohammad Akram.

CPO Rawalpindi Fakhar Sultan Raja told Dawn that a through enquiry would be conducted into the incident and those found guilty would not be spared. The CPO said the Chakwal police was being accused of the killing while Gujar Khan police after receiving the complaint and the body had started its formalities and investigations without any delay. He said a written complaint against the Chakwal police had also been received from the heirs of the deceased.

The district police officer (DPO) of Chakwal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts by this reporter.

According to the police record, Jhalla was already booked in three cases.