BADIN: Tension gripped Amir Bukhsh Jamali village of Badin district when Rangers personnel opened fire on a motorcycle after Eid prayers and left a man wounded.

His family members and relatives accused the personnel posted at the Ahmed Rajo checkpoint of resorted to firing out of grudge against residents of the village. They alleged that Rangers were not allowing police to register an FIR of the incident.

However, a Rangers inspector said his colleagues opened fire targeted on two motorcycles when four armed men riding them did not respond when they were signalled to stop. He did not say any of the bike riders was wounded.

Ali Bukhsh Jamali, along with his relatives and several residents of the village, including Haji Ameer Bukhsh Jamali, Gul Mohammad, Abdul Rehman and Khuda Bukhsh Jamali, held a press conference the following day and claimed that his son, Shahnawaz Jamali, and some other villagers were on a hunt for a mad dog that had sneaked into the village.

He said they intended to shoot the dog but a couple of Rangers personnel riding a double-cabin vehicle fired at them and wounded Shahnawaz Jamali, who was taken to the Golarchi basic health centre and then referred to the Hyderabad Civil Hospital.

The victim’s father further stated that the Rangers personnel posted at the checkpoint had off and on been subjecting villagers to excesses out of grudge after one of them tortured a man, Ibrahim Jamali, and had to tender an apology.

In the instant case, he said, the Rangers personnel were not allowing the Golarchi police to register the FIR.

A senior Rangers officer, when contacted for his comment, said a formal statement would be issued only by the ISPR.

However, a Rangers Inspector, Mohammad Saleem, informed the Badin SSP in writing that he, along with some other colleagues, were going to deliver food to the Ahmed Rajo checkpoint when they saw four persons, two of them armed, on two motorcycles.

They were standing near Seerani-Ahmed Rajo Road, he said, adding that upon seeing the Rangers vehicle, the suspects tried to ride away despite being signalled to stop.

He stated that two rounds were fired at one of the two motorcycles to get its tyres burst.

The inspector’s version was quoted by a policeman at the Golarchi police station.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014