GUJRAT, Dec 17: The entire country has become a police state, says a 13-year-old resident of Kuthiala Syedan in Mandi Bahauddin, who had to quit his studies from sixth class due to alleged highhandedness of police.

Mandi Bahauddin Saddar police are learnt to have implicated him and two other members of his family in five cases. Syed Azhar Iqbal Shah, who has recently been bailed out, told this correspondent at his residence in Kuthiala Syedan (about 85 kilometres from here) that an influential person had been trying to grab the ancestral agricultural land of his father by using police as a major tool for the past one and-a-half years.

He said Raja Akram, who enjoyed influence in social circles, met his father Yaqoob Shah in May 2002 and asked him that he wanted to take his land situated along and in Kuthiala Syedan village.

He said Raja informed his father that he had his land at Datto Chure village that he wanted to give him (Mr Shah) in return of Kuthiala's land. Raja also showed his land to his father.

The boy said after valuation of both the lands it was decided between the two parties that Raja would give 21 acres (of his land) to Yaqoob Shah who, in return, would hand over the possession of 3.5 acres.

After the land transfer process, the boy said, his father somehow came to know that Raja with the connivance of some revenue officials (area patwaris among them) had transferred his father's front-area land in his name instead of rear side tract that was agreed upon.

Young Azhar claimed that his father had sold decades ago the front portion of his land, which now had houses and shops. But the revenue staff had fraudulently showed it the agricultural land in their record.

Azhar said his father also learnt that Raja had showed him a piece of land at Datto Chure village, which actually belonged to someone else, and his real property transferred in the name of (Yaqoob Shah) was situated near the Jhelum river. A major portion of the land had been eroded by the river, he added.

Waking up to the danger of being duped, Mr Shah lodged a protest with Raja who in return threatened him with dire consequences. Later, Mr Shah summoned Raja at a panchayat of area elders, which gave the decision in favour of the former. The boy said Raja, however, rejected the jury's decision.

Meanwhile, Mr Shah submitted an application with the office of District Officer (Revenue) Dr Waqar Husain Chaudhry, alleging that Raja had defrauded him with the connivance of the revenue staff. He stated in the application that his land was in his possession while Raja's property was with him.

Azhar said his father requested the revenue official to start an inquiry into the incident and reach some conclusion. Thereafter, he said, the official launched a probe.

To depress the poor family, Raja Akram got an FIR No 373 lodged under sections 440, 379, 427, 148 and 149 of the PPC against Yaqoob Shah, his sons Mazhar Shah and Azhar Shah with Mandi Bahauddin Saddar police on July 2, 2003.

The boy alleged that the police tortured them and challaned them without going into the matter. Hardly had the poor family come out of the jail, another FIR was awaiting them. On Aug 3, 2003, Mandi Saddar police lodged an FIR No 443 under sections 440, 506 and 34 of the PPC against Yaqoob and his two sons on the complaint of Raja.

This time, however, the police conducted the inquiry on merit and the investigation officer, the SHO, the area DSP and the DSP (legal) found the case fake. They absolved the family of the charges levelled against them in the FIR. The DPO wrote to the area magistrate to cancel the FIR and take a disciplinary action against the complainant.

The poor family was yet to recover from the earlier shock (hardly after 50 days) when Raja again used the police tool to press the family to withdraw the inquiry. The father and his two sons were again booked by Mandi Saddar police on Oct 25, 2003 in an FIR No 632 lodged under sections 427, 379, 506, 148 and 149. They were taken into custody by the police, who found the case fabricated.

The investigation officer and the SHO wrote in the investigation file that they wanted to discharge the suspects, and visited the office of the then DSP, Raja Riaz, for verification of the investigation.

The minor boy alleged that their opponent approached the DSP, who turned down the investigation carried out by his subordinates and challaned them in yet another fake case.

He said they were bailed out after few weeks only to find them involved in the fourth case. This time the Saddar police lodged an FIR No 691 under sections 379 and 440 of the PPC against them on the complaint of their opponent on Dec 5, 2003.

The case was again found fake during investigation and the investigation officer and the SHO again wrote in the file that the suspects be exonerated. But the 'merciless' DSP had little respect for the investigation and he again challaned the family in a fake case, Azhar alleged.

In the meantime, he said his mother Syeda Rasool Bibi knocked at the doors of all law authorities and requested the president, prime minister and others at the helm to save the family from the police clutches.

He said his mother had received a written response from the interior ministry, twice from the prime minister secretariat and once from the member inspection team of the LHC, but all in vain.

The boy said the district revenue officer had announced the decision in their favour on Feb 16, 2004 and cancelled the transfer of both the lands. But, he said, his family had been waiting for justice without realizing that they had to face another FIR.

The Saddar police registered a case No 484 under sections 440, 148 and 149 of the PPC against them on Raja's complaint on Aug 7, 2004. The police record reveals that all the FIRs have almost the same allegations, including cutting of keekar, ruination of crop through water and animals, and threats of killing.

Azhar, whose father is still in jail, told this correspondent with tears rolling off his eyes that the police had shaken his confidence only to earn few bucks from their rival.

He said whenever he had asked the policemen what wrong his family had done, the policemen jokingly replied: "This is a policy and the new police order." He demanded that the authorities concerned took pity on him and his family by deputing an honest investigation party that could dig out the truth.

This correspondent also met some of the residents of Kuthiala Syedan and villages nearby and learnt that the police had played a dirty trick. When contacted, Gujranwala Range DIG Altaf Qamar said he would go deep into the matter only after receiving a written complaint in this regard.