GUJRAT: Police claim to have traced a blind murder case in Ugowal village where a man was found dead at an Imambargah a month ago.

Police spokesman Asad Gujjar told Dawn that Aqeel Abbas Shah, 45, had been found killed at an Imambargah in the village on July 26, but the killers could not be traced and the case was lodged against unidentified suspects on the report of a complainant.

The district police officer (DPO) had constituted a special team to solve the murder case and the team detained two suspects, identified as Muhammad Awais and Ghulam Abbas, of the same village who confessed to have killed Shah for smoking hashish inside the Imambargah. They claimed they had first warned the victim, which resulted into a brawl between them.

The spokesman added that the suspects opened fire on the man, killing him on the spot, and fled from the scene.

Police also recovered the pistol and motorcycle used in the incident. Meanwhile, DPO retired Capt Rommel Akram, who was posted by the caretaker Punjab government in June, has vacated his charge to join the senior management course in Lahore.

Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Amjad Qureshi has been given acting charge of the DPO till further orders.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2018