SHEIKHUPURA: Two gang-rape suspects were shot dead during an encounter in the early hours of Sunday.

The suspects had allegedly raped an 18-year-old Christian girl in front of her family about 25 days back. Saddar Farooqabad police had arrested the suspects on charge of gang rape.

On Sunday, a police team, led by Sub-Inspector Irshad, was escorting the suspects to the site where they had raped the girl to recover some looted goods.

As soon as the police van reached there, a group of suspects’ accomplices attacked police and got the rape suspects freed.

District Police Officer Mubashar Makan suspended the police party in-charge Sub-Inspector Irshad and four constables.

Later, a search operation was launched and the Saddar Farooqabad police received a tip-off that the suspects and their accomplices had gone towards village Awan Bhattian.

When police reached there, they saw the suspects robbing the commuters. On seeing police, the rapists and robbers opened fire on police that led to an exchange of fire from both sides. When the firing ended, police found the bodies of the both the rapists dead while their accomplices had disappeared in the darkness.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2021