SUKKUR, June 11: A day-long battle between police and protesters at Jacobabad bypass on Monday left 15 injured, including a DSP.

People from different villages had gathered there to protest against police highhandedness during raids, and demolition of Sardar Hazoor Bux Zehri’s house.

Police reportedly raided different villages to recover a Hindu trader Meera Lal kidnapped by unidentified persons a few days ago. They received information that the trader was kidnapped by Sardar Pechuho and was present in Zehri village. The operation, however, was not successful.

Members of Brohi community from different areas carrying sticks and arms came on tractor trolleys, pickups and motorcycles after coming to know of police raids. They blocked the Sindh-Balochistan highway for many hours and pelted the passing vehicles with stones resulting in damages to windowpanes of many, besides deflating tyres of others.

A heavy police contingent led by the city DSP Habibur Rehman Abro tried to prevent protesters but to no avail after which they resorted to tear-gas shelling and aerial firing and in retaliation protesters broke windowpanes of police vehicles by hurling stones.

There was a lull for sometime but it revived on the arrival of SSP Jacobabad Zafarullah Dharejo. Police again used tear gas and aerial firing forcing protesters to flee towards nearby agricultural land from where they opened fire. Police chased and baton-charged giving the area a look of a battlefield with a large quantity of stones scattered on the road. Tension ruled there.

The injured included DSP Habibur Rehman, four policemen and 11 protesters. Twenty-five people were arrested including the injured who were sent to lock-ups. Police arrested five men who had fled to Hasilpur after cordoning off the area and brought the situation under control after two hours.

However, witnesses accused police of damaging several motorcycles, four cars, two pickups and numerous bicycles while taking away with them to headquarters more than 50 bikes and tractors.

Later, eight people including a social worker Haji Gul Hassan Brohi, his son Arif Khan were arrested from their houses in Gharibabad. Gul Hassan Brohi told journalists that they were staging peaceful protest but police arrested them.

SSP, Jacobabad, Zafarullah Dharejo told journalists that the protest was the reaction of police raids on the villages but police would not come under pressure as the operation would continue till the recovery of Heera Lal and arrest of kidnappers. Police registered cases against protesters under different sections.

Deputy Commissioner, Jacobabad, Sajid Jamal Abro met a delegation led by President, Small Traders Association, Mir Ahmed Ali Brohi. He was briefed about the incident and assured the traders of initiating an inquiry.