LAHORE, Jan 13 A notorious extortionist was killed in what police termed an ambush, shortly after he was brought out of the Kot Lakhpat Jail in connection with the hearing of a case being proceeded against him in an Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday.

Mobeen Butt (35), who had been facing life imprisonment in connection with 38 cases of murder, attempted murder, extortion and kidnap for ransom, had filed petitions in the Lahore High Court seeking restriction on his movement outside the jail as he faced life threats and feared being killed in fake police encounter.

Shahdara investigation police claimed Butt was being taken to ATC around 12.30pm when five unidentified people, occupying a white car, intercepted the police van at Kot Lakhpat Railway Crossing, and opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle.

The police said the attack was so sudden that personnel could not respond it and were taken at gunpoint by the suspects who pulled Butt out of the vehicle and sprayed him with bullets.

The attackers fled the scene and Butt was pronounced dead on the spot. Interestingly, no police official was injured in the 'ambush'.

Police suspected that Butt might have been targeted by his rivals in the underworld.

According to the police, Butt after being convicted continued operating his network from jail through cell phone and was last nominated in a murder case registered in Ravi Road police station a couple of months ago. He had been in prison for the last three years.

Sources told Dawn that a police team led by Investigation In-charge Inspector Umer Farooq received Butt from the jail and later killed him.

They said the decision to kill Butt was taken at an informal meeting attended by top city police officials at the Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Lines a few days back. The 'operation' had the consent of provincial government high-ups because of Butt's 'criminal activities' which he continued even in the jail, they added.

According to the sources, CIA SP Muhammad Umer Virk refused to conduct the 'encounter', apprehending judicial suo motu action. After Virk's refusal, the investigation wing was assigned the task, the sources said.

By the end of the meeting it was made clear that Butt would be leaving the jail 'for the last time'.

Kot Lakhpat Jail Superintendent Mushtaq Awan said Butt was handed over to the police after ATC judge Rana Muhammad Yousaf issued his summons for Jan 13 in connection with a murder case.

He said Butt's two petitions filed in the Lahore High Court for restricting his movement outside jail were rejected. His last intra-court appeal was rejected by a division bench comprising two judges on August 13, 2009, he added.

“We had no such record to bar his movement or he being exempted from court hearing,” Mr Awan said.

He said according to the jail record, Butt had been facing 28 cases of different nature.

Sources said Butt tried to resist when told he had to be taken outside the jail.

Meanwhile, Kot Lakhpat police shifted the body to the Jinnah Hospital's morgue around 4.15pm and registered a murder case against unidentified people.

According to morgue sources, Butt had received no less than six bullets in different parts of his body.

Butt was a resident of Malipura, Shafeeqabad. A Lahore police team had captured him from Multan some three years back. He left behind a widow and a son.

According to police record, Butt had been associated with an organised gang of extortionists once ran by notorious criminals like Khalid Chitta and Aslam Bassa, who were earlier killed in separate encounters by CIA police. Their accomplices Deema Butt, Mooda and Sooda are in jail.