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KASUR: Five alleged robbers were shot dead ‘accidentally’ by their accomplices during an encounter, police claimed on Monday.
At least 10 suspected robbers attacked Ganda Singhwala police van near Pakki Haveli on Ferozepur Road to get four arrested men released from police custody.
A police party headed by Sub-Inspector Phool Muhammad of Ganda Singhwala police was transporting four allegedly notorious men from Kot Lakhpat and Camp Jail Lahore to interrogate them. On their way to the police station, they were attacked by 10 armed men on a car and two motorcycles near Pakki Haveli on main Ferozepur Road in the Mustafabad police precincts. The assailants got the four arrested released, snatched an official riffle from a policeman and fled.
On receiving information, a heavy contingent of police led by the station house officers of Mustafabad, Ganda Singhwala, Saddar and A Division started a search operation.
The suspects were located near Charewan village but they hid in nearby fields and opened fire on police that was retaliated for about half an hour.
Later, police recovered four bodies from the scene that were identified as Abdul Jabar alias Bao, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Ashraf alias Qilli and Bashart alias Basharti. These were the same men who were earlier in police custody.
They were wanted in more than 60 cases of robbery, house dacoity and murder by Lahore and Kasur police. Police claimed to have recovered the snatched official riffle and a Kalashnikov reportedly belonging to the assailants.
Later, Public Relation Officer Muhammad Sajjid told the media that while searching in the fields police recovered another body that was identified as Arshad alias Sethi. He was wanted in 30 cases of robbery, house dacoity and highway robbery by Kasur and Lahore police. The remaining assailants managed to escape.
District Police Officer Ali Nasir Rizvi constituted teams for the arrest of the fleeing assailants and also claimed all assailants were killed in firing by their accomplices.
Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015
