BAHAWALPUR: A farmhouse owner and his two men were killed in an armed attack on Wednesday, allegedly by his rival group, while one of the two attackers was also shot dead in the crossfire, at 95-M village near Duranwali pulli in the limits of Lodhran police station.

According to Lodhran Rescue 1122 spokesman, on receipt of an emergency call the rescuers reached the scene, finding three men — the farmhouse owner and lambardar Malik Mujeeb Mangla and his two employees — were lying shot dead there. In the retaliatory firing by Mangla’s men one of the attackers was also killed, he said. The bodies were shifted to Lodhran DHQ hospital for the postmortem examination.

District Police Officer (DPO) Hissam Bin Iqbal, along with a police contingent also reached the spot and assured the victims’ families of arrest of the fleeing attackers.

He formed a number of police teams headed by SP investigation Nasir Javed Rana to arrest the culprits.

Lodhran district police spokesman told Dawn that the two masked, allegedly identified as Mukhtiar and Dilshad, opened fire on Mujeeb Mangla and his two men, Bashir and Shabir, at a farmhouse. Mangla and Shabir died on the spot, while Bashir succumbed to his injures at the DHQ hospital.

One of the attackers, identified as Dilshad of Baloch group was also killed in the crossfire at the scene. He said there was a dispute between Mangla and Baloch clans over the nomination of lambardar and Mujeeb Mangla had been temporarily given the position by the district administration.

COP BOOKED: The Channigoth police, Bahawalpur district, has also booked railways police constable Mir Hassan and his two accomplices, for allegedly pushing Maryam Bibi down from a moving train, causing her death, on April 8.

Earlier, Hyderabad police had registered a case against the constable, and arrested him.

According to Bahawalpur district police, the Channigoth police registered an FIR on Tuesday night on the complaint of deceased woman’s brother Afzal of 548-GB village, Jaranwala tehsil.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024