NAROWAL, Dec 2: A police constable was shot dead during a clash with college students near village Saddoke on Narowal-Muridke Road early on Monday morning.

Some students of the local Government Islamia Degree College had a quarrel with a driver and conductor at the Saddoke bus stop. Later, about 250 students reached the bus stop and blocked the traffic.

In the meanwhile, a Saddoke police wagon which was passing by stopped there to inquire what was going on. ASI Muhammad Arshad, driver Zulfiqar and Constable Muhammad Ilyas were riding the vehicle.

An eyewitness, Iqbal, told Dawn that policemen baton charged the students and arrested some of them. He said the students attacked the police team to release their companions. During the quarrel, someone fired a bullet which hit Constable Ilyas in his chest, killing him on the spot. The students fled from the scene. The other two policemen also sustained minor injuries.

Police sources claimed that the constable was killed by the student while the students said he was hit by the bullet fired by one of his colleagues.

Police arrested some students whose number and names could not be known.