LAHORE: Two alleged criminals were killed in an ‘encounter’ with the police in Batapur here on Thursday.

The CIA police claimed that both dead criminals were involved in at least 10 incidents of kidnapping for ransom and murders in districts of Gujranwala and Lahore.

Civil Lines division’s CIA DSP Mian Shafqat said a police team which was accompanied by arrested suspect Safdar alias Chappa reached a place in Khairapur to arrest three other kidnappers. Seeing police, the suspects opened fire which was returned and, after a brief shootout, three suspects were found dead.

The DSP said that dead criminals were identified as Safdar’s accomplices Majid alias Maja and Amjad Pervaiz, both residents of Gujranwala.

He said Zulqernain alias Moon, the fourth accomplice, managed to escape from the spot, adding the policemen remained unhurt in the crossfire.

He said the suspects had kidnapped Zahid from Batapur area around 20 days ago and released him after receiving Rs2.4 million ransom. Police managed to arrest Safdar after few days of victim’s release and recovered ransom money.

The DSP said that Majid was a proclaimed offender in two kidnap for ransom cases registered with the Gujranwala district police while Amjad was wanted in a kidnap for ransom case registered with a Gujranwala district police station.

Police seized weapons and bullets from the crime scene, shifted the bodies to hospital for autopsies and registered a case against suspects.

SUICIDE ATTEMPT: A newly-wed girl attempted to commit suicide by consuming poisonous chemical and cutting wrist vein at her aunt’s home on Habibullah Road in Garhi Shahu here on Thursday.

Police said Tahira of Pulli Stop, Green Town, was admitted to Services Hospital in a critical condition.

The girl, who wed a few months ago, was apparently upset over her matrimonial affairs.

KILLED: A rickshaw driver was killed while three passengers suffered injuries when a three-wheeler skidded off the road and turned on its side at the Jail Road underpass here on Thursday.

The injured were taken to Services Hospital where driver Imran succumbed to his wounds.