MIRPURKHAS, Nov 24: The case of 78 missing peasants of Bheel community took a new turn after a meeting of protesting peasants and representatives of NGOs with 24 ‘missing’ peasants, including women and children, at SP investigation office here on Monday.

Landlord Thakur Nazeer Kaimkhani and his son Naeem Kaimkhani were summoned at the SP office, where journalists were also present.

The 24 ‘missing’ peasants, including women and children, were brought by landlords at the SP office. In the presence of media, secretary NGOs Network Mirpurkhas Zahida Detho, Wajid Leghari of Naujawan Sindh Samaji Sangat and Sarwan Kumar, coordinator of HRCP core group, district Tando Allahyar, talked with 24 peasants namely Dhano, Dodo, Ramsingh, Wero, Girdhari, Akko and others who were brought by landlord Mir Mohammad Soomar Thebo and Kombhraj Bheel. The peasants were told that they were free at the moment and could narrate the story of their kidnapping and illegal confinement.

However, peasants said that they did not know the protesting Bheel community people and representatives of NGOs and said that they were living with their landlord for then last five to six years. They further said that they did not know Thakur Nazeer Kaimkhani and added that they were not kidnapped by Nazeer Kaimkhani and his henchmen.

Zahida Detho and Wajid Leghari demanded of SP investigation Mirpurkhas Noorul Haq Rind to bring all the 78 peasants at one time to know their free will and express themselves without any pressure.

SP investigation told the rights activists hat he did not want to create controversy and according to law, investigation of the case of Nauabad police station had been completed as he would furnish investigation report to RPO Hyderabad.

He said that after recovery of 78 peasants, police had produced them in the court where statements of 37 peasants under section 164 CrPC had been recorded in which they claimed that they were working with different landlords and not with Thakur Nazeer Kaimkhani and they were living with their at their own free will without any pressure.

He said that police could not touch them now without the permission of the court.

On this occasion, Thakur Nazeer Kaimkhani said that these peasants were with other landlords and any one can go at their residence to know their views regarding their free will.

Landlord Thakur Nazeer Kaimkhani told reporters at a press conference that peasants issue was made against him deliberately to damage his agriculture as well as economics of Sindh.

He said that he has no link with these peasants and they were residing with different landlords.

He said that he was dragged into this issue under a conspiracy and accused that so-called rights activists were involved to blackmail him but added that he has over 5,000 acres of land and no injustice was being committed with any peasants at his lands.

He regretted that a false FIR was lodged against him and his colleague at Nauabad police station on the complaint of Mohan Bheel.

He urged that landlords and the growers of Sindh to unite as some persons wanted to destroy agricultural economy of the province by raising baseless issues against the landlords.