FAISALABAD, Feb 19: An under-trial accused escaped from the police custody in Tandlianwala, about 50 kilometres from here, on Wednesday.

According to details, a police party was taking Naveed Ahmad, involved in a murder case, to the court of a civil judge when he kicked the policeman holding the chain of the handcuffs and escaped. The policemen chased him but could not nab him.

Area police, on the orders of Tandlianwala DSP, arrested 11 policemen for negligence of their duties after registration of a case against them. They are Assistant Sub-Inspector Israr Abbas, Head Constable Fida Husain, Constables Riaz, Nasir Abbas, Muhammad Shabbir, Saifullah, Ahmad Ali, Ghulam Murtaza, Zafar Iqbal, Ahmad Yar and Abdul Ghafoor.

VC: Vice-Chancellor Dr Riaz Husain Qureshi of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, has said that the drought looming over the country had been averted because of the recent rains.

Talking to this correspondent here on Wednesday, the VC said the 65mm of rain so far recorded in the Faisalabad district has provided much needed relief to the farmers, policy makers and agriculture scientists.