GUJRANWALA: A handcuffed prisoner allegedly involved in a murder case was shot dead by an unidentified man on Saturday on the sessions court premises.

The deceased was allegedly involved in the murder of lawyer Farooq Othi. The central jail police had taken him to the district and sessions court to present him in front of the additional district and sessions judge.

A witness told the media that police were taking handcuffed Nabeel to the courtroom when an unidentified man, who was standing on the roof of the judicial complex, opened fire on him. Nabeel received three bullets in his head and chest and died on the spot. The assailant, however, managed to escape.

Civil Lines police took the body into custody, while the Rescue 1122 shifted it to DHQ hospital for autopsy.

Police claimed to have traced the suspect through CCTV footage and registered a case against him at the Civil Lines police station.

The family of the deceased told Dawn that Othi had been killed in 2015 for which Nabeel, his father Yousaf and brother Younis had been awarded life imprisonment. The Othi group had murdered four members of Nabeel’s side so far.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Ali Waseem said teams had been formed to arrest the assailant and he would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, the security in-charge of sessions court, Mudassar Butt, was suspended from service.

INJURED: Seven people, including two minors, were injured in a cylinder blast at a wedding ceremony in Qila Deedar Singh during preparation of food.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2020