TOBA TEK SINGH: A 17-year-old girl from a gypsy family died after being struck by a bullet during a police raid in Oddan Wali Basti outside Chak 327-GB near Shorkot Cantonment late on Monday.

The bullet was reportedly fired when a constable’s gun went off accidentally.

Deceased Tahira was standing in the doorway of her house during a wedding celebration when the gunfire occurred.

Her family alleges that the police fired without provocation resulting in her immediate death.

After the autopsy at the Rural Health Centre of Chak 316-GB, the body was handed over to the family.

Bullet hits girl during wedding celeberations

Dozens of gypsies blocked traffic on the Shorkot Cantonment-Pirmahal Road and shut the railway level crossing gates near Chak 312-GB, placing the body on the road as part of their protest.

Police later engaged with the protesters and assured them that justice would be served.

A press release issued by a police spokesperson said the raid was aimed at arresting local criminals, but the gypsy people resisted.

During the ensuing scuffle, a gunshot was accidentally fired from the weapon of Constable Muhammad Haroon, killing the girl.

In response to the demands of the gypsy community, a murder case was registered against the constable.

Complainant Muhammad Nazir of Oddan Wali Basti claimed in his FIR registered by Chuttiana police under sections 302, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code that Chuttiana police SHO Ali Umar, in charge police post Muhammad Imran, constables Haroon, Babar Nawaz, Muhammad Asif, Khalid Pervez and three others opened indiscriminate fire during an unlawful raid in the locality leaving his daughter, Tahira, dead.

No arrest had been made till the filing of this report.

DIES: A four-year-old girl died after falling from a train near Dainga Chak railway level crossing, outside Abbaspur Railway Station in the Thikriwala police area of Faisalabad on Tuesday.

According to reports, Iftikhar, of Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan, was traveling home from Faisalabad with his family after visiting relatives. While changing compartments on the moving train, his daughter, Wajiha, slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

She died instantly from the fall.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2024