MULTAN, June 5: Four alleged dacoits were gunned down in an ‘encounter’, Multan police claimed on Wednesday.

Interestingly, no policeman was injured in the exchange of fire with the dacoits, riding bicycles along with their five accomplices.

Mumtazabad police station in charge Muhammad Waseem was on patrol on the Old Duniapur Road with other personnel when he spotted a group of nine men riding bicycles near Namewala Chit, some 8km from here. He signalled them to halt but the cyclists opened fire.

Police returned fire in ‘self defence’ which resulted in the death of four of the cyclists. However, the remaining ‘dacoits’ fled away on their bicycles.

During search of the bodies, police found national identity card of one of the dacoits. The search also led to the identification of the other three.

They were Muhammad Shabbir, Ghaffar, Abdullah alias Bhola and Sher Muhammad alias Dorra.

Police claimed that the four dacoits belonged to Dera Nawaz Sahib area of Bahawalpur district.

According to a police handout, the dacoits used to move in groups wearing police uniform and entered the houses of their targets on the pretext of conducting a raid.

They used to collect valuables from the raided houses. Police claimed that the gang members also criminally assaulted the women inmates during their raids.

The gangsters, according to police, were active in Mianwali, Toba Tek Singh, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.

The police handout said that in Kharian, Toba Tek Singh and Lodhran some members of the gang had been killed by area people.

Police claimed to have recovered two 7mm rifles, two 30 calibre pistols, 3 rounds, two bicycles and a police uniform from the dacoits killed in the encounter.

BZU RESULTS: The Bahauddin Zakariya University declared on Wednesday the result of M.Phil (economics) Part II annual examination 2001.

Six candidates participated in the examination and all have been declared successful.