BAHAWALPUR: The Fateh Shah police in Burewala circle of Vehari district claimed to have arrested a proclaimed offender in injured condition after an alleged encounter.

According to a Vehari Police spokesperson, a suspect on a motorcycle opened fire on a police patrolling team near Pull Damani 50/KB and attempted to flee.

He claimed the police team chased the suspect, who in a state of confusion collided with a roadside tree, fell down and sustained injuries. He claimed the police team overpowered and arrested him and Fateh Shah police SHO Muhammad Asif shifted him to the hospital for treatment.

The spokesperson added that the suspect was identified as Muhammad Yar, a resident of Basti Gahishah of mauza Suldaira, who was found to be a proclaimed offender in a rape case and was also involved in as many as 27 cases of dacoity, robbery and thefts.

Meanwhile, Vehari DPO Tasawar Iqbal claimed that during the previous four months, there was an 80 percent decline in crime rate in the district as compared to the same period last year. He claimed that there were only two dacoity cases compared to last year’s 10, while 219 robbery cases were recorded compared to last year’s 575 cases.

RAPE: A vagabond belonging to an influential family allegedly raped the daughter of a labourer at gunpoint in village 287/ EB in Gaggo Mandi police area in Vehari district.

According to police sources, a labourer along with his wife had gone for wheat harvesting in the fields, while his young daughter A was alone in the house. The suspect allegedly barged into the house and forcibly raped her at gunpoint and fled.

When they returned, the victim’s father registered a rape case against the accused and the Gaggo Mandi police were yet to arrest him.

MURDER: A wife allegedly poisoned her husband to death over differences with her in-laws at village Nia Khoo Tibbiwala in Kahror Pacca of Lodhran district on Sunday.

According to the Kahror Pacca police, one Zia Muhammad had complained to the Saddar police that his daughter-in-law Sadia, in connivance with her brother Rashid and other family members, had allegedly poisoned his son Ijaz to death. In his complaint, Zia alleged that his daughter-in-law had relations with some people and had demanded divorce from his deceased son, who had declined.

Police registered a murder case against four persons and started investigations.

CONVICT FOUND DEAD: A convict on death sentence had died in mysterious circumstances on Sunday.

However, the central jail superintendent in his press release claimed that convict Syed Imtiaz’s death was caused due to acute liver failure. He further claimed that the inmate had been diagnosed by the doctors of the Bahawal Victoria hospital (BVH), where he was shifted from the jail hospital on April 16. He had been admitted to BVH’s ICU for treatment, where he died, the superintendent claimed.

WHEAT CROP LOST: Standing wheat crop worth Rs1.2 million on six acres of land perished in a fire in Chak 88 Makhdoom Aali on Multan Road near Lodhran on Sunday.

The fire was brought under control by Rescue 1122 after several hours of firefighting. The standing crop caught fire when straws of left-over wheat harvesting were burnt in the adjacent fields.