BAHAWALPUR, July 4: Police registered on Wednesday an FIR against about 2,000 men for killing a man, causing injuries to eight police personnel, rioting and torching a police station, four residential quarters and four police vehicles in Channigoth on the outskirts of Bahawalpur.

SHO Ghulam Mohyuddin of Channigoth told Dawn by phone the FIR had been lodged under sections 302, 395 PPC and 7 section of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

He said none of the accused had been named in the FIR and no arrest had been made.

The case is about a Tuesday night incident when hundreds of people attacked the Channigoth police station where a man had been detained for allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran.

The mob set the police station on fire, started beating the man and dragged him to an open place and set him on fire. The crowd watched as the man known as Malang (insane) kept screaming for help.

The fire destroyed parts of the police station and four police vehicles.

Malang had been detained on information about the alleged ‘blasphemous’ act.

Police used teargas and fired in the air but failed to disperse the charged crowd.

According to sources, a heavy contingent of police and elite force had been sent to the town from Bahawalpur and Liaquatpur to help local police.

But before it reached the place the mob had entered the police station and overpowered the two constables guarding the lock-up.