LAHORE, Dec 5: Police on Friday evening arrested a proclaimed offender and alleged land grabber after a brief encounter near Hakim Chowk in PIA Housing Society, in the jurisdiction of Township police.
Malik Muhammad Mansha, son of Hakim Ali (against whose name Hakim Chowk has been named), was wanted in no less than 29 cases of murder, attempted murder, aerial firing, extortion, and land grabbing by Johar Town, Township, Green Town, Kot Lakhpat, Sattokatla and Islampura police.
Acting on a `secret information’ that Mansha was present in an under-construction house near Hakim Chowk, officials of Township police reached the place and summoned personnel from Sattokatla and Johar Town police as well.
After cordoning off the house and restricting the movement of motorists and locals, police through a loudspeaker asked Mansha to surrender but he opened fire which was retaliated by police.
A large number of locals and passers-by, including this correspondent, witnessed the encounter.
After half-an-hour crossfire, Mansha surrendered. Policemen brought him to Hakim Chowk and thrashed him with kicks, fists and their traditional `Chittar’ (leather strap). Sources said beating land grabbers in public is now part of police standard operation procedure.
People of the area raised slogans in favour of the chief minister and Punjab police for arresting a ‘notorious’ figure of the area. Some of them also joined police in beating him.
“We are happy that the police have arrested a criminal who has deprived many innocent citizens of their property,” said Kashif Khalil, a trader of the locality.
Saddar division SP Rana Mansoorul Haq told Dawn the police had received information about the presence of Mansha in the under-construction house owned by a widow.
He said the police had also recovered a Kalashnikov and a 12-bore rifle the accused had used against the police.
The SP said Mansha was among the top three land grabbers of the Saddar division. The other two -- former MPA Abdul Rasheed Bhatti and Malik Shaukat Ali -- were still at large. He said his division was also in search of nine other land grabbers.
According to the Lahore police ‘black book’, Mansha has been included in the fresh list of land grabbers. He was arrested two years back from Township but was released on bail. He returned from Dubai last month.
The Township police had earlier apprehended former MPA and Kasur district council chairman Hakim Ali Bhatti in connection with several cases of land grab.
A police official told Dawn Hakim Ali Bhatti was released on bail on Nov 21 last on the intervention of a senior officer of the prosecution wing of the Punjab government.
“I do not know how he was released on bail when the police had submitted his complete challan in the court,” he said.
According to the pro forma G of the Black Book, there are around 180 land grabbers in the city out of whom notorious figures are former MPA Rasheed Bhatti of Faisal Garden Scheme, Malik Shaukat Ali Khokhar alias Changar, Liaquat Ali of Altaf Town, Muhammad Mansha Ghumman of Qadri Colony, Walton Road, Amanat Ali of Iqbal Colony, Baghbanpura, Shahid Khan of Afzal Park, Harbanspura, Ashiq Ali of Lakhu Dair, Aqeel alias Gogi Butt of Gawalmandi, former police inspector Abid Boxer, SI Iftikhar Gujjar of Green Town police, Mehmood Butt alias Mooda and Asif Butt alias Asu of Sabzi Mandi, Liaqatabad, and Malik Amer Khokhar of Sattokatla.
These people are wanted by the police in hundreds of cases registered in various police stations of the city.
Meanwhile, Mansha was handed over to the Township investigation police for further investigation and a case was registered under sections 324, 186, 353 of the PPC and 7 ATA against him on behalf of the state.