Punjab police files water theft case against 15 farmers who have died

KHUSHAB: Police have registered a case against 100 farmers — including at 15 who died earlier — and five others who reside abroad since a long time over water theft.

The case was filed in the Saddar police station on behalf of Punjab Irrigation Department's sub-divisional officer (SDO) for Jauharabad, Sheikh Attar, against 100 farmers and feudal landlords. It named at least 15 farmers who passed away earlier.

Ironically, police were conducting raids to search for and arrest the dead farmers named in the case and harassing their families, some of the other accused claimed.

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In this regard, police maintained that they had filed the case exactly according to the petition they had received from the Punjab Irrigation Department.

The Punjab Irrigation Department, on the other hand, said they would file cases against anyone from whose lands water was being stolen.