SANGHAR, Feb 14: Villagers thrashed a police party in the Murad Unnar village, near Preetamabad, after they mistook them for bandits.

According to details, Huzoor Bakhsh Unnar, a sepoy on leave from the army, was going towards his village on a motorcycle when he was signalled to stop by a police party.

The police party was led by the SHO of Gupchhani police station, Ali Nawaz Wassan, and was patrolling the area in a mobile van.

Mr Unnar presumed them to be bandits and accelerated his motorcycle towards the village.

The police party chased him and started aerial firing outside the village.

Dozens of villagers rushed out of their houses armed with their weapons and presumed the police party to be bandits storming their village.

They encircled policemen and gave them a thrashing after overpowering the police party.

Later, police reinforcements, led by the DSP of Shahdadpur, reached the village and secured the release of the police party.

However, the SHO and the police party denied being thrashed by villagers.