GUJAR KHAN: An under-trial prisoner was killed in what the police claimed an encounter on Tuesday. Two police officials were also injured in the incident.

District Police Officer (DPO) Jhelum Sarfraz Virk told local mediapersons that Ghulam Bashir alias Bashira was being taken in a prisoner van from the district jail to the civil courts in Pind Dadan Khan for the hearing of different cases registered against him. When the van reached the Moriaal area of Pind Dadan Khan, four armed men riding a car opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle and forced it to stop.

Two policemen guarding the van were injured in the firing. The armed men forced the door of the van opened and took away the prisoner, he said. In the meantime, the police stations of Jhelum Saddar, Jalalpur Sharif, Chotala and Pind Dadan Khan were alerted to chase the criminals. The DPO said the car was later spotted in the hilly area between Chakrai and Mianmda where an encounter took place between the police and the gunmen.

The DPO claimed that Bashira was injured by the firing of the gunmen. He said the gunmen escaped from the scene leaving the injured prisoner behind. “The police rescued him (Bashira) but he succumbed to the injuries,” the DPO said.

He said Bashira was arrested under the charges of robberies, extortion and murder. The Punjab government had announced Rs500,000 as the head money for his arrest.

The injured constables Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Fayyaz were shifted to the district headquarters hospital Jhelum where they were stated to be out of danger.

Published in Dawn February 4th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play