SIALKOT, Oct 24: Daska Tehsil Nazim’s driver and official gunman (a constable) and the SHO of Begowal police station and four other constables were injured in separate encounters with a group of armed dacoits near the Nazim’s native village Mitranwali late Wednesday night.
Sources said Daska Tehsil Nazim Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad Cheema’s gunman Constable Mubarak Ali and driver Mohammad Iqbal were returning to Daska in a car (LXZ-9939) after dropping some guests in Mitranwali.
At a canal bridge near the village, six unidentified armed dacoits were looting the passers-by, having blocked the road. The dacoits signalled Mr Iqbal to stop the car, who, however, sped on. The dacoits opened fire on the car, injuring its two occupants seriously. The injured were also beaten up by the dacoits, who then fled away firing shots in the air.
The fleeing dacoits also opened fire on some villagers of Gojra, who, however, remained unhurt.
Later, the dacoits encountered a Begowala police party near Rohilla Chowk. They opened fire on the official vehicle, as a result of which SHO Rahat Ali and constables Shafaqat Ali, Mehmood Iqbal, Saeed and Akhtar sustained serious injuries. The vehicle was also badly damaged. The dacoits fled towards Rajabpur firing in air. They also snatched Rs16,000 in cash from a truck-driver.
The injured were shifted from the Daska THQ hospital to a Lahore hospital in critical condition.
The Bambanwala and Begowala police have registered separate cases against the dacoits. However, nobody has been arrested so far.
Meanwhile, people have protested against the rising dacoity incidence in Daska tehsil and poor performance of the police. They said the Daska police had not been able to find any clue as to whereabouts of the dacoits who escaped from the premises of Daska courts about two weeks ago.
CHARAS SEIZED: CIA officials raided a den of notorious drug trafficker Tanvir Ahmad at Muhallah Heeran Rangpura in Sialkot city late Wednesday night and seized 300kg of charas worth Rs20 million.
While the alleged drug-trafficker, Mr Ahmad, managed to escape, police were able to nab his “right-hand man” Naseem.
Further investigations are under way.