Shooting probe unveils connections

Deceased shooter’s long-standing ties to prime accused lead to multiple arrests

LAHORE:

Investigations into the recent shooting incident at a private housing society during a wedding ceremony have revealed startling connections between the deceased shooter and prime accused individuals Khawaja Aqeel alias Gogi Butt and Khawaja Tareef Gulshan alias Teefi Butt, who have been long-term employers of the deceased.

Muzzafar Hussain, the deceased shooter, was found to have been in possession of two mobile phones, with one of the SIM cards reportedly registered under the name of a woman from Karachi.

The SIM card was acquired by Hussain on February 17, a day prior to the murder.

Further investigations led a police team to Karachi, where three suspects allegedly linked to the issuance of the SIM card were taken into custody.

Simultaneously, police conducted raids at the residences of the prime accused persons in Gowalmandi, Naseerabad, and a private housing society on Canal Road.

It was discovered that Gogi Butt had been present in Lahore at the time of the incident but quickly fled to Karachi within hours of the murder, and subsequently travelled abroad.

The police probe extended to various individuals present at the wedding ceremony, including Sub-Inspector Shakeel Butt of the Organized Crime Unit (OCU) in Iqbal Town, Lahore.

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Butt had attended the ceremony alongside Ameer Balaj Tipu, the victim of the shooting. Additionally, Butt’s presence at the Allama Iqbal International Airport during the murder of Tipu Truckanwala 14 years ago raised suspicions.

However, a spokesperson for the OCU, Malik Asad, denied reports of Shakeel Butt’s arrest, stating that Butt had attended the event as a guest in his personal capacity. Meanwhile, the fourth wife of the deceased shooter, Muzzafar Hussain, has been included in the investigation after contacting the police through legal representation to claim her husband’s body.

To expedite the investigation process, six teams from Lahore police, including operations, investigations, and the organised crime unit, have been formed.

These teams are actively pursuing leads and evidence, such as Call Data Records (CDRs), geo-fencing data, and CCTV footage.

Additionally, a suspect driving a Black Vigo vehicle, spotted rushing out of the housing society where the incident occurred, is under scrutiny.

The vehicle, suspected to have been used by the deceased shooter’s accomplices to flee the crime scene, is being traced by the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st 2024.