LAHORE, Oct 15: A Punjab University student was killed and an alleged criminal injured during crossfire between a gang and police at Gohar Centre on Wahdat Road on Wednesday.
The Wahdat Colony police arrested former Pakistan hockey coach (in Beijing Olympics) Olympian Naveed Alam and his driver Muhammad Yousaf while the injured Tariq managed to escape.
Iqbal Town division SP Sohail Chaudhry told Dawn that CIA Kotwali inspector Raees Ahmad Khan received information that Tariq, who had been declared a proclaimed offender for his involvement in many cases (including Civil Lines bank heist), was about to reach Gohar Centre. The inspector, who was in plain clothes, reached the place along with his subordinates, the SP said, adding that the official overpowered Tariq when he was alighting from the car.
His two accomplices, including Naveed Alam, who had already got down and were going to their office situated in the centre, ran towards Tariq and tried to get him released. The SP claimed Naveed handed over a pistol to Tariq who opened indiscriminate fire as a result of which a bullet hit a young man sitting in his car close to the scene.
The police official also opened fire, injuring Tariq, and many other policemen also reached the spot and captured two of the gangsters. Tariq, however, made good his escape despite having a leg injury.
He said the other injured, identified as Umer Rasheed, 25, succumbed to his injuries in Services Hospital. He was a Punjab University student who had visited the market along with his family.
Inspector Raees told Dawn that Naveed Alam, during preliminary interrogation, revealed that Tariq was his gunman and he did not know about his (Tariq) criminal record. He claimed that Tariq, who was challaned in the Rs20 million bank robbery in the Civil Lines area in 2002, was also declared court absconder in cases registered by the Lytton Road and Gulberg police.
The inspector further said Tariq was also involved in The Mall robbery of Sep 2, 2008 in which a trader and his friend were killed near the Governor’s House.
SHAHDARA SHOOTOUT: A robber was killed in an encounter with police after a gang shot at and injured four members of a family during a house robbery. The shootout took place at Abdul Aziz Colony of Shahdara early on Wednesday.
Four robbers entered the house of Abdul Rasheed around 3:30am and started looting cash and valuables. On resistance, the robbers opened fire on the family, injuring Rasheed, his wife Kausar Perveen, son Haroon and the daughter.
As the neighbours informed the Rescue 15 police, a team together with a Shahdara police bevy chased the robbers fleeing with cash and jewellery worth Rs150,000 and stopped them at Farrukhabad Pulli.
During an exchange of fire, one robber was killed while his three accomplices managed to escape with booty.