LAHORE: A prime suspect involved in kidnap of five-year-old boy for Rs100 million ransom was killed in an alleged encounter in Batapur area here early on Sunday.

Shahbazalias Baz was among three other suspects who had kidnapped Areezfrom parkof a private housing society in the jurisdiction of Sundar police station on May 13. The boy was later recovered by a team of the CIA police during a raid at Sara-i-Alamgir.

A police official claimed that the CIA police team was on a search for the suspects involved in the kidnap of the boy in Batapur area.

He said as the police raided a hideout near Bhaseen village early on Sunday, the suspects opened fire on them. The police returned the fire which led to an encounter with the attackers.

Later, they found Shahbaz dead in the crossfire, the police official said and claimed that other members of his gang managed to escape and the police teams were searching them too. Police have registered a case.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2022