RAWALPINDI: As many as 45 people, including 15 lawyers, were booked after a handcuffed property tycoon was freed from police custody by armed men allegedly with the connivance of a group of lawyers on Tuesday.

According to the FIR, when the interim bail of Chaudhry Nadeem Ijaz, a director at a private housing society, was cancelled by the court, he quickly walked out of the courtroom but was taken into custody by the police after a brief chase.

It further said three lawyers nominated in the FIR, along with 10 to 15 of their colleagues, started scuffling with the police. Quoting Sub-Inspector (SI) of Chauntra police Mohammad Asif, the FIR said the police van, with the accused on board, had hardly reached the U-turn after crossing Soan Bridge, a convoy of 15 heavy vehicles, three jeeps and four cars, blocked the van.

SI Asif said some of the occupants of the convoy were carrying Kalashnikovs while one Naeem Ijaz, was armed with a pistol. They challenged the police and demanded Nadeem Ijaz’s release.

In the meantime, SI Asif said, Naeem’s accomplices started scuffling with the police while Fahim Ijaz managed to free the handcuffed Nadeem Ijaz from police custody and escaped.

The suspects also snatched the mobile phone of SI Mohammad Safeer. The accused, Nadeem Ijaz, was on interim bail till Nov 30, which he had obtained from the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2021