KOHAT, Feb 20: Two drunken policemen, who resorted to firing in the air in violation of section 144 in Kohat city, were put in the lock-up on late Saturday night, sources said.

They were arrested by their colleagues when people complained that they could harm citizens as they were firing in the air ith official Kalashnikovs.

However, officials at City police station, when contacted, said that both the accused had been released by a court and they had returned toPolice Lines. The claim wasdenied by some other officials, who said that they were unaware about the release of drunken policemen.

The in-charge of City police station, who introduced himself as Saadullah Khan, said that Sub-inspector Shaukat Khan was dealing with the case. However, the hospital sources said that some constables and an ASI, Peshawar Khan, had taken the accused policemen to Liaquat Memorial Hospital for medical check-up.

Earlier, the moharrar of City police station parried questions about the policemen and said that the matter was still being discussed by senior officers and no FIR was registered yet.

Sources said that police officers were trying to absolve their accused colleagues of drinking charges five hours after their arrest. Only firing charges under section ¾ were registered in the FIR against them just before Saturday midnight, they added.Hospital sources said that the inspectors accompanying the accused policemen refused to get OPD chit, which was must for record, and managed to conduct their medical tests without following the official procedures.

Dr Raza of Laiquat Memorial Hospital, when contacted, said that the policemen had been taken away on late Saturday night.An official at Police Lines mentioned the names of the drunken policemen as Ehsanullah Khan and Noor Mohammad. “We have taken their blood and urine samples and the reports would tell the actual story if all went well in the night,” he said.

The in-charge of the police media cell did confirm the incident but refused to offer any help and said that the accused were colleagues of City police officials. He said that both the accused policemen were heavily drunk.

When this correspondent tried to take versions of Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Masood Afridi and District Police Officer Mubarek Zeb, the respective telephone operators said that both the officers had gone to some very important function and could not be contacted even on their cellular telephones.