GUJRAT, April 27: Two cloth vendors have accused Phalia (Mandi Bahauddin district) police of patronizing touts to fleece poor people.

Liaquat and Bashir of Lalamusa were deprived of their hard-earned money two months ago in the jurisdiction of the Phalia police station near Marala by what they say the ring leader of a swindlers’ gang having police backing.

As they frequent Phalia, they claim that scores of vendors and small traders have been forced to pay police through touts to avoid implication.

Liaqat and Bashir’s ordeal started when they were busy in selling cloth in Marala. A man who introduced himself as Safdar from the Phalia police questioned their presence in the area.

Accusing them of being involved in dacoities and thefts, he took them to the Phalia police station.

On the way, he thoroughly searched their pockets and deprived them of Rs14,500 in cash and their identity cards. At the police station, Safdar made them sit in constables’ barrack where a policeman in uniform also charged them with committing dacoities and threatened implication.

When Liaquat and Bashir begged mercy, Safdar let them go and promised to visit their house in a couple of days to return their money and ID cards. But, they alleged, Safdar never visited them nor returned the belongings. Later, they learnt that Safdar was a notorious swindler of Phalia.

After a week, they approached the Phalia police station for the registration of the case against Safdar but they were not entertained. On second visit four days later, they were denied entry into the police station.

They moved the Mandi DPO who directed Phalia SHO Nisar Shah to investigate the matter and book the guilty, if any. But, they said, police had neither picked up the accused nor they have investigated the matter.

They urged the chief minister and the IGP to take stern action against the Phalia police.

A spokesman of the Phalia police station denied any link between police and swindlers. “The police had conducted a raid at the house of Safdar who had gone into hiding,” he added.