HYDERABAD: Enraged over killing of three villagers in an alleged encounter in the Khanot area of Jamshoro district late Saturday night, heirs and other relatives of the victims went on the rampage at the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH), Hyderabad, where they had come to collect the bodies on Sunday.

Claiming that their loved-ones were gunned down in cold blood by the Khanot police, the shocked and furious people ransacked the MLO section and offices of MLO Dr Wasim as well as police surgeon and additional police surgeon. Some of them also partly destroyed the record of MLO section and some others tried to take away files.

The jars containing viscera of other bodies and the gate of the mortuary were damaged when the crowd forced their way into the mortuary in an attempt to take away the bodies, kept in the cold storage.

Soon after receiving information about the violent incident, anti-terrorist force (ATF) personnel and a contingent of the Market police, Hyderabad, rushed to the hospital. According to them, the enraged mob attacked them with clubs and bricks, damaging two mobile vans and an ambulance of the LUH.

The police force resorted to aerial firing in order to disperse them.

Police force, ambulance also attacked, MLO office ransacked, record and viscera jars damaged

As the situation went out of the control of police, Rangers personnel move to the hospital and restored order.

LUH police surgeon Dr Waqar said the enraged people damaged a computer of the accounts section in the MLO office.

All this happened while police were completing the medico legal formalities after bringing the three bodies to the hospital, he said.

He said he caught hold of one of the intruders who was trying to take away record of the MLO section.

Dr Waqar told the media that the bodies were later transported to the deceased persons’ homes by ambulances.

Conflicting versions

The deceased villagers were identified as Munawar Mallah, son of Hashim Mallah, Deedar Solangi, son of Porho Solangi, and Dilbar Majeedano. Munawar and Dildar were residents of Pasoro Goth, Petaro, and Dilbar was a resident of Laloo Majeedano Goth, Matiari district.

The protesters said that the victims were returning home from Sehwan when their vehicle accidentally fell into a ditch in Khanot along Indus Highway. They alleged that the Khanot police opened fire on them in the ditch killing them on the spot.

Earlier, a spokesman for the Jamshoro police claimed that the three suspected criminals were killed in an encounter near Faqirdad Khoso village falling within the jurisdiction of the Khanot police station.

He claimed that the suspects were highwaymen. They were killed in an exchange of fire while they were travelling by a Suzuki vehicle, he added.

The Market police said an FIR against those involved in the violent incidents at the LUH and attack on police force outside would be registered.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2024