JHANG, May 4: Two dacoits and a bus cleaner were killed while a constable sustained serious injuries in an encounter after an attempted bus dacoity near Jhok Adda, 15kms from Chiniot on Faisalabad-Chiniot Road on Tuesday night. The bus (SGH-7492) of Awan Transport left Faisalabad for Sargodha at 7.15pm on Tuesday evening. One dacoit, later identified as Riaz Muslim of Sargodha, also boarded the bus. His three accomplices — Umar Hayat, Khizar Hayat and Khushi Muhammad got on the bus at Allied Hospital bus stop.

On suspicion, cleaner Zafar got hold of dacoit Zafar and snatched from him a pistol concealed in his dress when the bus reached near Madina Ghee Mills. During the scuffle, dacoit Umar Hayat shot dead the cleaner. Later, the dacoits had the bus stopped, alighted from it and took positions in nearby fields when a patrol party of Chiniot Sadar police besieged them.

Thereafter, armed outlaws exchanged fire sporadically for three hours with the police. In the meantime, more police were called out from Chiniot, Jhang and Bhowana. The encounter left two dacoits — Riaz and Umar Hayat — dead. Police also arrested their accomplice Khushi Muhammad while Khizar Hayat managed to escape from the scene. Constable Muhammad Nawaz, who received a bullet in the chest, was admitted to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, in critical condition.

URS BEGINS: Urs of Syed Mehboob Alam, popularly known as Hazrat Shah Jewna Karoria, began with kiri rite at his shrine near Shah Jewna village on the right bank of river Chenab, some 30kms from here.

The kiri rite was performed by the Sajjada Nasheen, Federal Kashmir Affairs Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat.

According to centuries old tradition, the Sajjada Nasheen, after performing the kiri rite, confines himself to shrine’s premises for six days.

During this period, he cannot attend to the worldly affairs and only prays to God.