Three alleged bandits killed in ‘encounter’

Police say deceased were wanted in dozens of cases of heinous crime

OKARA:

Three “bandits” were killed while six others escaped in two alleged police encounters in Okara.

The bodies of the alleged bandits were shifted to the District Hospital.

A blockade had been set up to arrest the fugitives.

A bandit had been killed in a police encounter in Chak No. 49/ 2L in Okara on Saturday while four had escaped.

The alleged robbers had sneaked into the camp of a landowner near Chak No. R-16/1. The SP of Investigation, Khalid Mehmood, and the SHO of Satghara Police Station, Malik Arshad, received the report on the basis of which a heavy contingent of Satghara police reached the spot. Finding cover in nearby crops, the bandits allegedly opened fire as soon as they saw the police party.

Police returned the fire.

Two of the robbers were killed in the indiscriminate firing of their own men while two others, taking advantage of the dark, fled. Police teams had been searching for the fugitives for their arrest. For this purpose, they cordoned off the entire area.

SP Khalid Mehmood reached the hospital where the bodies of the deceased had been brought to and commended the police party.

In a separate incident a robber was killed in an alleged police encounter near Chak No. 49/2L. Those killed in the “encounter” in Satghara were identified as Shehzad alias Sajo and Abdul Sattar.

Shahzad alias Sajo had been wanted in more than 30 cases involving drug peddling, robberies, murders and attempted murders. Abdul Sattar was allegedly involved in more than 22 cases, including kidnapping for ransom.

The third alleged robber was identified as Chakar alias Zahoori, who was wanted in various districts and was also involved in various robberies.

SP Khalid Mehmood had formed teams for the arrest of the fugitives.

He said that the rest of the accused would be arrested at the earliest. He said it was the responsibility of the police to protect the life and property of the people. The official issued commendation certificates to the police party that participated in the encounters.

In April this year, an alleged robber was killed and another was injured in a police “encounter” at Chamb Stop on Narowal Road in Sheikhupura.

Two people waved a police mobile patrolling near Uncha Pind to stop. They told the police that three armed robbers who had been riding on a motorcycle without a number plate had robbed them of mobile phones and Rs7,000 at Chamb Stop on Narowal Road.

Seeing the police mobile, the alleged robbers opened fire on the police van.

The police party fired in the air for the sake of saving their’s and other people’s life and ordered the suspects to surrender. However, the alleged robbers continued firing at the police party and tried to escape under the cover of fire.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2022.