Thursday, July 24, 2008
JACOBABAD: Three unidentified bandits looted more than 200 Hindu women when they were worshiping (satsang) at a home here on Wednesday.
The bandits barged into the home and made hostage on gunpoint around 200 Hindu women present there for the usual religious prayers (satsung)
. The robbers reportedly looted hundreds of thousands of rupees in cash and jewellery worth millions of rupees from the women. They also injured Kanta Bai and Shrimati Gunni on resistance. Later, they fled.
As the news reached the city, hundreds of enraged Hindu community members crowded the temple and shouted slogans against the police. DPO Jacobabad Saqib Ismail Memon reached the scene and tried to calm down the angry mob but in vain.
Later, the mob took out a rally under the leadership of Babu Mahesh Lakhani, former president of the Hindu Panchayat, Jacobabad, which marched on several roads of the city. They also blocked the National Highway, suspending the traffic for one hour.
Babu Mahesh, while addressing the rally, said the Hindu community was being harassed under a deep-rooted conspiracy. “Even our honour is at stake now,” the Hindu community leader said.
He said that it was the responsibility of the government to protect their honour, property and life. “But nobody is there to help us. Now we are being looted even at our temples and houses,” he added. He demanded of the government to arrest the bandits immediately or the protest would continue. Meanwhile, Home Minister, Sindh, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, and IG Sindh Police Salahuddin Babar Khattak taking notice of the incident directed the DPO Jacobabad to arrest the bandits within 24 hours.
