‘Dead’ extortionist arrested

Relatives of accused staged his funeral to fool police last year 

FAISALABAD:
Police have arrested a wanted extortionist who had staged his death last year.

The relatives of the accused tried to avoid police raids and implicate their rivals by announcing his death and performing the funeral rituals.

During a campaign run by police against wanted suspects, Kotwali police raided a place after a tip-off and arrested Malik Zeeshan alias Shaani. They later obtained remand of the accused from a court.

Police sources said that Shaani, resident of Bhuwana Market area in Kotwali police station’s precincts, often extorted money from vendors near his residence. He also used to attack the shops of those who did not pay him.

Police action: Gang of extortionists busted

On May 5, 2018, accused Shaani went to Aamir Raza's gift centre and Waseem's toy store and opened fire at them on refusal to pay the money demanded by him. After the incident, the traders closed all the markets and protested. On the traders’ protests, Kotwali police filed a case against the accused and launched raids to arrest him but he went into hiding.

After a year, the relatives of the accused claimed that he had been shot dead by unknown men. They took photographs of his funeral prayers and made his grave in a large cemetery at night to complete the impression that he was dead.

Police stopped raiding his house, believing the news of his death. Last month, a special campaign was launched against the wanted suspects in the district.

The newly appointed Station House Officer of the area, Atiqur Rehman Shah, took steps to arrest the accused on the basis of a tip-off.


The relatives of the accused told police that he was killed by unknown men and showed them pictures of his body, but the SHO did not believe them and sought the data of the mobile phone number used by him.

The police with the help of modern technology conducted raids in different areas and succeeded in arresting the accused. The accused had disguised himself at the time of his arrest.

Police sources said there were cases of extortion, kidnapping and having fake identity cards against the accused in Gulberg and Kotwali police stations.

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Kotwali police obtained physical remand of the accused after presenting him in an anti-terrorism court.

SHO Shah said that two brothers of the accused were also involved in extortion cases.

Police said Shaani was involved in fighting, extortion and creating fear in the commercial area.

They said Zeeshan’s brothers Malik Khalid and Malik Adnan were also nominated in cases lodged in Kotwali. Gulberg and Saddar police stations.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2020.
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