HYDERABAD, Aug 24: An accused of lynching case of Tando Adam, Iqbal Shaikh, escaped from surgical ward of the Liaquat University Hospital on Thursday where he was being treated for injuries he had suffered during the incident.

According to SHO Wahid Bux Leghari, two police constables of Tando Adam, Qasim Jamali and Mohammad Rafiq Panwhar, who were guarding the accused had said in their statement that four relatives of Iqbal arrived there and told them that they needed to take him to operation theatre (OT) for surgery.

The constables allowed them to take him away. When they did not return even after a coupe of hours, they went to the OT and found that no surgery was taking place there and the accused had escaped with his relatives, said the SHO.

He said the constables had been arrested and a case had been registered against them at the Market police station on Friday on a complaint lodged by sub-inspector Ayaz Ahmed Jatt of B-Section police station Tando Adam.

Police produced the constables in court to obtain their remand but the court released them on bail upon submission of surety of Rs20,000 each.

Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Qureshi said the accused disappeared on Thursday afternoon because of sheer negligence of police. He was admitted to surgical ward late on Wednesday night.

Another injured man, Ghulam Sarwar Buriro, son of the man who died in the lynching incident was shifted to Jamshoro branch of the hospital from the city branch on Thursday night.

Tando Adam town remained shut on Thursday in protest against the tragic incident that took place on Wednesday night in Jatia Para when a large number of neighbours attacked a group of people, accusing them of facilitating a couple to stay in an empty house.

The house was owned by one Wali Mohammad Buriro who was killed in the attack and three others, including his son, were injured.

Two FIRs were lodged at the B-section police station about the incident. In the first FIR, Gul Mohammad Buriro, brother of the deceased, accuse d 10 identified and 35 unidentified men of murdering his brother. Police arrested seven, including Noor Mohammad Abbasi, Mohammad Akbar Shaikh, Yameen Shaikh, Anwar Rajput, Rashid Ali Shaikh, Abdul Hameed Shaikh and Iqbal Shaikh.

The other FIR was lodged by brother of Iqbal Shaikh who was among the attackers and suffered injuries, lodged a case against six people of Buriro community and the alleged couple. Police arrested three persons, including a girl, Rozina.

Our Sanghar correspondent adds: Police produced nine accused of the lynching case in the court of civil judge and judicial magistrate-I on Friday. The court remanded them in police custody for seven days.

Meanwhile, a number of women of Jatia Para demonstrated outside the B-Section police station and alleged that police had arrested innocent residents of their locality and were raiding more houses for arrests.