KASUR: Chunian police on Thursday lodged a case against 165 lawyers on the complaint of a Lesco sub-divisional officer while 44 Lesco officials were booked following a complaint filed by the Chunian tehsil bar general secretary.

Both Lesco officials and Kasur and Chunian bar members went on a strike.

On Wednesday, lawyers and Lesco officials had a clash over power theft issue, leaving about a dozen people injured on both sides.

Police were deployed on the premises of Chunian courts and Lesco office to avert any untoward situation. Police, however, also restricted itself to make any arrest.

According to complainant SDO Abdul Rasheed, a large number of lawyers [15 nominated and 150 unidentified] entered his office, allegedly used harsh language and ransacked the office furniture. The complainant alleged that the suspects injured Lesco staff and snatched their cell phones and cash. The motive as stated in the FIR is that the complainant had got a case of power thef t registered against a lawyer in Kanganpur some weeks back.

Police have registered a case under various sections including 506-B, 156, 422, 342, 365,382, 148, 149, 337-F 1 and 3 of PPC.

On the other hand, Chunian police also lodged a case against 44 Lesco officials, including 30 unidentified, on the complaint of Chunian tehsil bar general secretary Sardar Imran Dogar.

According to complainant Dogar, when he along with other lawyers went to the office of SDO Abdul Rasheed to get [inflated] electricity bill of a lawyer rectified, the Lesco staff taunted them as power thieves and allegedly attacked them.

He alleged that the SDO called his sub-ordinates who allegedly thrashed the lawyers and detained them in a room.

Further investigation is under way.

Meanwhile, the Kasur and Chunian lawyers did not appear in courts while Lesco officials also locked their offices and went on a strike. Correspondent