TOBA TEK SINGH: Police claimed that three robbers were killed during two separate ‘encounters’ in the firing by their own accomplices on Sunday in Faisalabad district.

In the first incident, the police said, two alleged robbers were killed in an encounter with Garh police near Tandlianwala tehsil’s Chak 458 GB in the wee hours.

The police claimed that a team of Garh police, on a call received on helpline 15 that five robbers were looting people, rushed to the scene near Chak 458-GB, where the criminals opened fire on the policemen, which was retaliated.

When the firing stopped, the police found two of the robbers lying critically injured, while their three accomplices had managed to escape.

Both were shifted to Tandlianwala Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where they succumbed to their bullet wounds.

Police spokesperson Ismail claimed that both criminals received bullets fired by their own accomplices.

He said the deceased were identified as Lal Din alias Lalo and Abid Ali of

Mouza Killianwala, Tandliawala tehsil, who were wanted by Garh and Samundri police in robbery and drug peddling cases.

Sources said the criminals had shot at and injured a Faisalabad police Constable, Asif Shahzad, when he offered resistance during a robbery on Samundri Road a few days ago.

City Police Officer Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi has announced cash prizes for the Garh police party involved in the ‘encounter’.

In the other incident occurring in Rodala police limits, an alleged robber was killed in custody when he was being taken to the court of a judicial magistrate at Jaranwala for identification parade in a dacoity case.

According to the police spokesperson, the suspect, Arslan Shani, of Chak 228-RB was being taken to Jarranwala Tehsil courts for identification parade in a dacoity case, when three armed men in a car opened fire at the police vehicle near Bohar Wala Chowk, bursting its tyre.

He claimed that the attackers snatched Arslan from police team and sped away.

He said with the help of more personnel called from Jarranwal, the police chased the criminals on M-III Motorway link road.

In an exchanged of fire with the criminals near Makhan Chowk Arsalan was seriously wounded and rearrested, while the attackers managed to escape, he added.

The spokesperson said that the injured man was rushed to Jarranwala THQ hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The police claimed he was wanted in 47 robbery cases.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2023