‘Bandit’ killed in alleged police encounter

Police claim suspect was wanted in dozens of cases of heinous crime

KURIANWALA:

An alleged bandit, who had been wanted in dozens of cases of extortion, robbery and attacks on policemen, was killed in an alleged police encounter while his accomplice escaped, police said.

They said that the Station House Officer of the Sargodha Road Police Station, Inspector Mansoor Sadiq, and the SHO of the Madina Town Police Station, Inspector Waheed Shahid, had been in their official vehicles at 1:30 a.m. in anticipation that the wanted “criminals” would use the route.

In the meantime, two people riding on a motorcycle appeared. They were signaled to stop which they allegedly defied and rode on, police said.

SHO Mansoor Sadiq, along with his team, chased the motorcyclists who allegedly opened fire on the police party and rode towards a graveyard.

During the police pursuit, the accused left their motorcycle and went into the graveyard to dodge the police from arresting them. All the while they kept firing at the police team.

Police had already surrounded the graveyard.

The exchange of fire between the police and the suspects continued during which Ahsan alias Sana Butt, a resident of Street Number 3 of Manzoor Park, sustained injuries.

The police shifted him to the Allied Hospital in their official vehicle.

Ahsan died at the Allied Hospital during treatment.

Police handed over his body to his relatives after the postmortem and registered a case on a report by the SHO of Sargodha Road Police Station under various sections of the PPC and began their investigations.

According to a spokesman for the City Police officer, Ahsan alias Sana “was a wanted criminal...involved in a number of crimes...”.

The accused had allegedly shot and injured two policemen during a raid a few days ago, police said.

In September this year, and alleged bandit, Saltoo Shar, was killed in an alleged police encounter on the Sindh-Punjab border.

Saltoo Shar was allegedly involved in more than 200 cases of robbery, kidnapping and murder.

In July last year the ringleader of the Ladi Gang wanted in over 30 cases was killed in a police encounter.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2022.