Gujrat police kill 4 suspects in 14-hour long ‘encounter’

GUJRAT: At least four people, namely an alleged drug dealer who was also proclaimed offender, his nephew and two accomplices, were killed in at least 14-hour long ‘encounter’ with police in Hanj village of Kakrali police on Thursday.

The main suspect, Faisal Shehzad, was allegedly involved in killing an Elite Force official and injuring another in an encounter three days back.

Hundreds of rounds and dozens of teargas shells and grenades were also used in the encounter, which started on Wednesday afternoon and continued until 7am on Thursday morning.

Police said a team, led by DSP Zeeshan, had reached the Hanj village to trace Faisal.

As soon as they started demolishing the front wall of his house with machinery, Faisal and his accomplices opened fire from inside.

Police also retaliated and more contingent of police reached as the back-up while the exchange of heavy firing continued until Thursday morning.

As soon as the firing stopped, police found four bodies from the house that were later identified as those of Faisal, his 20-year-old nephew Safiur Rehman and two accomplices, Naveed Akhtar (24), a resident of Khawaspur and Nomi (30) of Lalamusa.

Police shifted the bodies of the deceased to the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital for autopsy.

Gujrat District Police Officer Dr Mustanser Atta Bajwa and SP Riaz Ahmed Naz led the police operation.

It is learnt police had earlier erased the structures of two outhouses of Faisal in the same village.

Sources said police were not expecting Faisal to be present in his newly-built concrete house.

They had to ask for back-up from the Elite Force contingent when the suspect was found there. Police had earlier detained a brother of Faisal after the first encounter three days ago.

After the encounter, Rehmania Police Station SHO Haji Sagheer Ahmed Bhaddar appeared in a media report and claimed that police had taken revenge of a police officer, adding that anybody who would try to kill any officer would meet the treatment.

MURDER: A bike rider was shot dead by the firing of unidentified armed men in front of Nayyer Mall along the Old GT Road in Sadar police precincts late on Wednesday.

Reports said that Faizan of Chah Berriwala, along with wife of his elder brother, was returning home from River Garden after meeting some relatives.

As soon as they reached near the mall, two armed motorcyclists tried to stop them and upon failing to do so, they opened fire. Faizan died on the spot whereas his sister-in-law remained unhurt.

The suspects fled the scene as police reached the spot.

A Punjab Forensic Science Agency team also reached there and collected forensic evidence whereas the body was shifted to the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital ABSTH where doctors conducted autopsy and handed over the body to the heirs.

Sadar police have registered the case against the unidentified suspects under sections 302 and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code on the report of Asghar Ali, the father of deceased and started investigation.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024