BAHAWALPUR, July 21: Channigoth police claimed to have arrested four accused on Saturday after their identification in the incident in which a man allegedly involved in the desecration of the Holy Quran was burnt alive on the night of July 3 at Channigoth Town in Chakkar.

Among the arrested were Muhammad Faisal and Muhammad Rafique, about whom the police claimed were the real culprits responsible for burning malang Abbas alive. They were also nominated in the FIR registered on July 3 which was sealed.

Channigoth SHO Irshad Bokhari told Dawn by telephone that arrests were made after hectic efforts with the cooperation of area notables as they formed a committee to assist the police in its interrogation.

Apart from four arrests, the SHO said that some 15 people, most of them shopkeepers, had been taken into custody and were being interrogated.

He said three DSPs, the Channigoth police and CIA officials were interrogating them directly under the supervision of DPO Ahmed Ishaque Jahangir.

He said the accused had been categorized under the offences allegedly committed by them.

The SHO said offences included the alleged killing of the malang, torching of four police vehicles and setting on fire police station buildings and residential quarters of policemen.

He said the FIR had been registered against 2,000 unidentified people, including 31 nominated.

Regarding harassment of residents at the hands of policemen in town and rounding up of some innocent people, the SHO claimed that the interrogation was being done purely on merit and no innocent person would be implicated in the case.

SECURITY PLAN: DPO Ahmed Ishaque Jahangir said on Saturday that a special security plan had been made for the month of Ramazan.

In a press release issued here, the DPO said the security plan had been chalked out for 454 mosques, 52 imambargahs, eight Ramazan bazaars and nine dastarkhwans in the district for the safety of the general public.

He said there were 45 sensitive places in the district and at least 700 police constables, 156 ASIs, 28 inspectors, eight DSPs and 9,650 razakars had been deployed for security duties.

He said 11 motorcycle squads would also intensify patrolling in cities, towns and other important places in the district.