OKARA, March 11: Six policemen of Hujra Shah Muqeem were booked on the orders of the Lahore High Court on charges of killing a young labourer in a fake police encounter.

About three years ago, labourer Ijaz Ahmad and his friends Waheed Murad and Ashr were waiting for a bus in Jasooki to go to Hujra Shah Muqeem. A police patrol arrived at the place. The SHO allegedly directed his subordinates to arrest all of them. Ijaz panicked and tried to run away.

SHO Mohammad Hussain Bhatti and constables Nawab Ali, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Hameed, Asghar Ali and Faiz Mohammad allegedly opened fire on the running man, who died on the spot.

Later, these policemen registered the incident as a police encounter. The mother of the deceased filed a petition against the fake encounter.

FOREST FIRE: The forest near Sulemanki Headworks — not far from the border with India — caught fire. Fire-brigades had to be called from Okara, Kasur, Deepalpur and Minchinabad to control the fire. A 4km strip of the forest was burnt to ashes. Cause of the fire has not yet been established.

ROBBED: A floor-mill owner was deprived of 1.5 million rupees on Okara-Deepalpur Road.

Sources said Rana Latif was going in his car (OKB-5400) when he was intercepted by three highwaymen near 32/L, who had used a donkey cart to block the road.