GUJRANWALA, May 20: Three brothers were shot dead by their rivals to settle an old score in district courts while a stamp paper writer and a passer-by also sustained bullet injuries here on Monday.

Muhammad Sultan, brother of accused constable Gulzar Ahmad, had been murdered at Lundey Sharif village, Tetley, on Dec 24, 2001. On his complaint, the police had booked deceased Irfan and his half a dozen accomplices in a murder case. Later, police exonerated alleged killer Irfan and his associates from murder charges after an investigation. Their acquittal had enraged the opponents who attacked them a few days ago. Tetley police had however registered the case against both the parties.

On Monday, both rival parties were present in the district court for hearing of their case when Gulzar Ahmed, his companions Munawer Waqas and Amin Goraya opened fire on their rivals. As a result, three brothers Irfan, Muhammad Shafiq and Sultan Ahmad and two others Muhammad Siddique and Ayub Ibrahim sustained wounds. They were rushed to the local DHQ Hospital where the three brothers died.

Although Irfan had taken shelter in a court room when assailants opened fire, the attackers chased him and killed him there.

Amin Goraya also admitted himself to hospital for the fear of arrest, but police arrested him along with other suspects and recovered a rifle from their possession.

The main accused, constable Gulzar Ahmad, was in uniform and he got himself deployed at the judicial guard duty and used official rifle for killing his rivals. Later, he escaped from the scene and came to his village where he reportedly fired at his rivals. But there was no report of any more casualties or injuries till the filing of this report.

Police teams were raiding various hideouts to arrest the accused. The bodies of three brothers were shifted to the DHQ hospital for autopsy.

A case has been registered and further investigation is under way.

BLACK WARRANTS: The death warrants for two condemned prisoners involved in a double murder case were issued by the Anti-Terrorism Court No 2 here on Monday.

The judge, Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain Maken, ordered to hang them in jail on June 6.

According to the prosecution, convicts Hadayat Masih and Ashiq Masih had killed Alipur Chattha market committee’s inspector Muhammad Ashraf and his wife Azra Bibi on resistance during a robbery bid near Kot Bhawanidas village on Oct 12, 1993. The couple was going to their village by a motorcycle.

The Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court also upheld the decision of the lower court. The president also rejected their clemency appeal.