RAWALPINDI, June 25: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and R.A. Bazaar police officials came to blows on Monday when the latter tried to arrest four employees of the civic agency for allegedly injuring a person during an anti-encroachment drive.

Three policemen along with a sub-inspector and some RCB officials received minor injuries when they entered into a brawl.

Last month, the RCB enforcement cell launched an anti-encroachment operation at Convey Road in the limits of R.A. Bazaar police on the directives of the station commander. However, the RCB staff faced resistance from the local people and a resident, Malik Abid Hussain, was injured while trying to stop the drive.

Later, the injured man lodged an FIR against four RCB officials – Sohaib Mehmood, Nisar, Bilal and Fayyaz Khan.

On Monday, when the police raided the civic agency’s office, the RCB officials did not allow them to arrest the four nominated in the FIR. The employees ran into the office of Cantonment Executive Officer Rana Manzoor Ahmed Khan and the police followed them there.

In the meantime, Mr Khan made a phone call to high officials of the police and informed them that the policemen had
entered the civic body’s offices without permission.

The police authorities immediately asked the personnel to leave the premises.

Later, Station House Officer R.A. Bazaar Raja Mussadiq and other officials visited the RCB offices and held a meeting with the cantonment executive officer.

Mr Khan informed the police that first class magistrate Mohammad Islam Chuadhry had already directed that the medical legal report of the injured person would be redone on July 3 at the District Headquarters Hospital, so it was against the law
for the investigating officer to enter the civic body office without any warrants to arrest the accused.

The SHO assured the RCB chief that they would probe into the matter and take action against the officials.

The RCB chief told Dawn that the local magistrate had already directed the police and the DHQ Hospital medical superintendent to constitute a medical board to re-examine the injured person, as the accused had alleged that the report was false and fabricated.

He said the investigating officer was informed about the court orders but he refused to admit it. However, he said, after seeing the court orders, the SHO went back and promised to take action against the officials.

The SHO said the incident had occurred due to a misunderstanding. The court orders clearly stated to conduct a fresh MLR on July 3.” He said he had launched an investigation into the matter and improve the working of the police.