NAWABSHAH: Four policemen and as many villagers were injured in a clash near a sugar mill here on Saturday but both sides gave a totally different version about the reason leading to the violent incident.

The B-Section police claimed that some personnel had gone to the Meeral Rahejo village to arrest certain absconders but the villagers attacked them leaving four policemen injured. However, the villagers said that the police intervened when security in-charge of the mill along with labourers was trying to clear blockage of the drain passing behind the mill and they (villagers) resisted the attempt. They said they had blocked the drain last week as the mill had been disposing of toxic effluents which were causing diseases among people and animals in the village and harming their crops.

The injured security in-charge told the media at the Peoples Medical University Hospital that the villagers had blocked the drain and broken its chamber. He said 15-20 villagers attacked him and the labourers who were trying to mend and clear it under police escort.

He said that they and police tried to hold negotiations with the villagers but they attacked them with clubs injuring him and three policemen, Naeem Shah, Muharram Ali and Ghulam Mustafa Bhangwar.

The villagers claimed that three persons, Mohammed Moosa, Ali Sher and Hussain were wounded in police firing and taken to some undisclosed place.

B-Section SHO Mazharuddin said that the police team was arresting “three wanted absconders when the villagers attacked it, injuring four policemen”. He said that the wanted suspects were injured in firing by their companions. He added that the suspects were, however, arrested.An FIR of the episode was registered against villagers under the Anti-Terrorism Act, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024