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LAHORE, Dec 27: Two proclaimed offenders were killed after one-hour encounter with police in Talwara village in Manawan on Saturday morning.
Arif Daad of Haripur Hazara and Wajid Ali of Shahdara were wanted to police of different cities in at least 215 cases relating to kidnap for ransom, murder, robbery, police encounter and escape from court.
Crime Investigation Agency SP Muhammad Umer Virk told Dawn that police had information that Daad and Ali, who were already challaned in a kidnap for ransom case and they fled from a court in 2006, were present at Sardar Bhatti’s outhouse. He said the CIA’s Civil Lines unit was sent to the scene at 6:30am and the criminals opened fire at the police. The police retaliated against the fire and killed the two offenders. The encounter continued for an hour. He said policemen remained unhurt and Bhatti, who used to shelter the suspects, fled.
Police sent the bodies for post-mortem and a case was registered in Manawan Police Station.
A police source, however, told Dawn that Bhatti informed police about the presence of suspects at his outhouse after striking a deal with the police. He claimed that it was planned that police would arrest the offenders during sleep, but the plan was not executed.
Police record shows that Daad and his accomplices started crimes in 1999 and formed new gangs in every city they went to. They shot dead former SP Muhammad Tufail Bhatti and injured his son Arif Bhatti, a carpet trader. They looted Rs3.5 million from Lorry Adda on Sept 9, 1999. Daad, Ali and their accomplices moved to Karachi where they abducted Sheikh Raees for ransom, collected Rs7 million and later killed him.
In Multan, they looted cash and jewellery worth Rs1.8 million from landowner Mazhar and his wife and shot dead their driver Sharif.
Similarly, they committed a house robbery in Multan, looted cash and valuables worth Rs2 million and injured a woman.
In Peshawar, the accused abducted electronics trader Gull Khan for ransom and released him after receiving Rs2 million.
In Lahore, the criminals kidnapped Sheikh Zahid, an electronics trader of Shah Alam Market, for ransom on Aug 1, 2006 when he was returning to his Cavalry Ground home, received Rs5 million from his family and later killed him.
Police arrested Aamir Zaheer Butt, Ali, Irfan, Rizwan and Arif, but they fled from the court on Oct 11, 2006 when they were brought there for a hearing.
FOUND DEAD: A retired bank officer who had gone missing near Akbar Chowk in Johar Town a couple of days ago, was found strangled in fields in Chuhng on Saturday.
Chuhng Station House Officer Farooq Ahmed told Dawn some people working in the fields of Nawab Sahib discovered a body packed in a sack and informed the police.
He said the police found the body of a man, seemed to be in his 50s, and his hands and legs were tied.
He said after launching search in the area and contacting police of other areas, it was established the deceased was Chaudhry Nazir Ali who had been kidnapped from Johar Town and a kidnap case was got registered by the victim’s son Farhan Nazi in the Johar Town police station.
Nazi said that his father had left with the driver by a car to get check his diabetes from a hospital near Akbar Chowk but did not return. The body was shifted to morgue for autopsy.
Niaz is survived by his wife and five children. — Staff Reporter
