PESHAWAR, Dec 20: Panic gripped people when a policeman resorted to firing in the air on the premises of District and Sessions Court here on Tuesday as a prisoner tried to snatch a rifle from his colleague.

The litigants and other people present on occasion started running but police locked the main gates and cordoned off the entire area.

An official of the East Cantonment police station told Dawn that two alleged robbers were brought to be presented before the court. One of the arrested robbers tried to snatch rifle from a policeman upon which another law enforcer resorted to firing in the air to foil the bid, he added.

“The accused, Saeedullah, and his accomplice, facing charges of breaking into a house in Gulbahar and looting the family, were brought to the court for hearing. When they saw Haji Inayatullah, complainant in the case, they got infuriated and attacked him,” the official said.

Both the accused and complainant were accompanied by their relatives and friends, who started beating each others and in the meantime the accused in chains tried to snatch rifle from a policeman but failed to do so.

Police charged the alleged robbers in another case under Section 353, 186,224,511,148 and 149, he said. It was learnt that the opponent party was also challaned under Section 107.