GUJRANWALA/SIALKOT, April 14: Violent protests by people, worried over the fate of their deposits, erupted on Saturday in Wazirabad and Sialkot. In Wazirabad, dozens of protesters turned violent and pelted stones on police. Police fired teargas and baton charged the protesters which left two dozen people, including a dozen students of a seminary, injured. Besides the students, women and children of a nearby locality were also affected due to teargas.

The injured were taken to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital. Eight constables were also injured in clashes.

Police cracked down on protesters and arrested 50 of them under 16 Maintenance of Public Order. The day-long protest suspended traffic on GT Road for several hours. Vehicles to Lahore and Rawlapindi were being diverted to a bypass. Gujrnawala City Police Officer Khadim Husain Bhatti claimed the situation was under control.

In Sialkot, Double Shah’s clients staged demonstrations outside the sealed sub-offices of his concern in Kollo Key, Jethikey and Sambrial. Protesters apprehended that their savings deposited with Shah would not be returned to them due to government’s action against him.

They said had Shah been indulging in illegal activities, the government would have arrested him two years ago when he started his scheme. They urged the government to ensure safe return of their amounts to them.

TAX NET: Income Tax Department officials are collecting information about those people who have got doubled their sums from Double Shah. Thousands of people, who deposited money with the Wazirabad-based Double

Shah would also be brought into tax net, officials informed Dawn.

Banks welcomed the arrest of Double Shah and officials hoped that the banks would get back heavy chunks drawn by the account holders.