GUJRAT: Police claim to have killed a hardened criminal in an alleged shootout near Miana Gondal of Malakwal tehsil in Mandi Bahauddin in the wee hours of Sunday.

The suspected outlaw had earlier fled from police custody in Sarai Alamgir Saddar police precincts on Saturday night when his accomplices ambushed a police van to get him freed.

Asad Gujjar, the Gujrat police spokesman, claimed that police had arrested Yasir Gulzar of Khohaar village, who was wanted by the police in different heinous crime cases. The suspect was being taken to an area for recovery by Sarai Alamgir Saddar police when his accomplices ambushed the van near Gurha Jattan village along Rasul Road.

The assailants managed to get Yasir freed from custody and fled from the scene. Police lodged a case against the suspects under sections 324, 353, 224, 225, 392 and 427 of PPC on the report of Sub-Inspector Shahid Imran.

He said police started chasing the suspects and intercepted them near Miana Gondal in Mandi Bahauddin district where an encounter ensued between both sides. Later, Yasir was found dead and Miana Gondal police registered another case against him. He was wanted by Gujrat police in more than a dozen cases of murder, attempted murder, extortion and other such offences. The suspect was allegedly involved in the cold-blooded murder of Sarai Alamgir journalist Mirza Waseem Beig over six months ago.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2020