Gujar khan  -  A local magistrate in Jhelum issued an order on Thursday for the release of 50 students detained by Kala Gujran Police during a protest on Wednesday. The demonstration was sparked by allegations of rape of a female student in Lahore. 

A case was registered by the Kala Gujran police following a complaint from Station House Officer (SHO) Mazhar Ul Islam on Wednesday.

This action comes after male students from Punjab College Jhelum campus staged a protest, during which they reportedly pelted stones at a police party.  The FIR revealed that approximately 400 to 450 male students, some armed with batons, vandalised the college building and assaulted police officers who were on duty to maintain order. Police arrested approximately 50 students at the scene, while more than 400 unidentified students were booked after dispersing. Additionally, police confiscated 83 motorbikes belonging to the protestors. The case was registered under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including charges related to theft. 

On Thursday, Azhar Iqbal, the area magistrate in Jhelum, issued an order for the police to discharge the FIR and to release the students without delay. 

Talking to The Nation, District Police Officer (DPO) Jhelum, Mr. Nasir Mahmood Bajwa, confirmed the release of all arrested students, stating that the prosecutor intends to file an appeal against the court’s order. On the other hand, the police in Gujar Khan apprehended six students from various colleges, who were participating in a protest concerning the alleged rape of a female student at a Punjab College campus in Lahore.

Police sources have identified the arrested suspects as Saad Ali, Ashir Ali, Abdul Saboor, Muhammad Farhan, Muheen Sajid, and Muhammad Adeeb, while a case was being registered till the filing of their report on Thursday evening.