GUJRANWALA, June 23: The main accused of the Sialkot jail tragedy, former inspector Zulfikar Virk, escaped from police custody here on Thursday. Virk was reportedly being driven back to the Central Jail after his production before a local anti-terrorism court when he “dodged six policemen escorting him and escaped.”

The policemen led by Sialkot Civil Lines SHO were suspended and raids for their arrest were on, Gujranwala DPO confirmed. Escorting the jail case accused to the ATC from the local jail is the responsibility of the Sialkot police.

Known for encounter killings, Virk, it is said, was the official whose firing had claimed the lives of four judges held hostage by five outlaws some two years ago.

He was specially called from Narowal when the criminals had held hostage nearly a dozen judges and judicial officers who were on a routine inspection on July 24, 2003. He had brought with him some women relatives of criminals to make them surrender.

After the incident, he went into hiding. However, the Faisalabad police caught him, but soon he managed his escape. He was re-arrested some months ago.

REJECTED: A local anti-corruption court rejected the bail of suspended Kharian tehsil nazim Nadeem Asghar Kaira here on Thursday.

The police sent him to jail after the rejection of his bail.

The suspended nazim was arrested by police some two days ago from district courts when he came there to pursue cases.

The anti-corruption establishment had registered a corruption case against the suspended nazim a few months back.

RECOVERED: The body of a youth was fished out by professional divers after 24 hours from the Upper Chenab Canal on Thursday.

Reports said Zohaib Butt went to canal to take bath along with his friends, but he did not return home. The divers recovered the body from the canal and handed it over to his heirs.

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