LARKANA, Dec 19: The district and sessions judge, Larkana, on Thursday released eight villagers who were found illegally detained at the Mahota and Taluka police stations in connection with the investigation of a girl, Shamsha Kehar.

The villagers who have been released are Ali Sher, Irfan, Naushad, Lutf Ali, Rasool Bakhsh, Deedar, Idrees, and Babar.

It may be recalled that Shamshad Kehar had been stoned to death in the Agani village about 10 days back.

Rajib Kehar, a relative of the detained villagers, on Wednesday moved the sessions’ court, Larkana, with the plea that the investigation wing of the Larkana police had arrested the above-mentioned people and had kept them at various police stations without having lodged any FIRs.

The sessions’ court appointed Bashir Ahmed Shaikh and Mahkumuddain Bhutto as the raid commissioners.

During the raids on the Taluka and Mahota police stations late Wednesday, they found all the eight illegally detained people there.

The police failed to produce any valid document showing their arrest.

On Thursday, they were all produced in the court where the supervising officer (SO), investigation, Muhktiar Essani, also appeared.

He could only produce evidence against one Mukhtiar Kehar as an FIR had been registered with the Mahota police station against him. However, there was nothing against the others with the police.

The sessions’ court ordered that the eight villagers be released, while Mukhtiar Kehar was handed over to the police. The supervising officer of the investigation wing of police was asked to submit his version, if any, on Dec 24, as defence evidence.

Meanwhile, the supervising officer, investigation, on Thursday secured a seven-day remand for Mukhtiar Ahmed Kehar from the court of the extra joint civil judge, Larkana, to further investigate the killing of Shamshad Kehar.

LIFE TERM: Two brothers, Hamid Ali and Mehar Ali Chloyani, were awarded life imprisonment after the court of the sixth additional session judge, Larkana, found them guilty of killing Amir Jan Chloyani. Amir Jan Chloyani was murdered about eight years ago in Warah.