SWABI, Aug 10 An additional sessions judge on Monday issued arrest warrants of the deputy superintendent of police and eight constables for not appearing before the court in an alleged case of beating and putting a local journalist behind bars.

DSP Mohammad Rasan, Station House Officer Sadiq Akbar, Sub-Inspector Ijaz Khan, Traffic Officer Sardar Ali, constables Ali Mohammad and Arif Khan and traffic policemen Laiq Zaman, Intikhab Alam and Afsar Khan were nominated in an application submitted to the court of Additional Sessions Judge Mohammad Zubair by Swabi Union of Journalists regarding beating of the journalist.

The court had ordered the officials to appear before the court on Monday, but they failed to do so.

Javid Iqbal, news editor of Swabi Times, a local weekly, told this correspondent that traffic police officials snatched camera of their photographer for snapping them when they were forcing transporters to grease their palms at Shewa bus stop on July 30, and put him behind bars.

Mr Iqbal said when brother of the cameraman Qurban Hayat visited the Kalu Khan police station he was also arrested. He said that members of the Swabi Union of journalists had vowed to take the matter to the court.

He said when they met with the District Police Officer Mohammad Rafique he assured them that the matter would be resolved amicably, but other high-ranking officials refused to release the cameraman.

DROWNED A local, Abdul Hameed, who was a teacher in a maddrassah, was drowned in River Indus in Zarobi area on Monday.