CCD officer martyred fighting suspect

Accused shot dead in retaliatory firing; suspect was wanted in robbery, other cases

RAWALPINDI:

A Crime Control Department (CCD) sub-inspector, was martyred in an alleged encounter with a wanted criminal in Rawalpindi, while the suspect was also killed in retaliatory firing by the police on Wednesday, police said.

CCTV footage of the incident emerged, showing the martyred SI grappling with the suspect shortly before he was shot.

According to police, the encounter took place near QJ Heights in Safari Phase-I, within the jurisdiction of Chaklala Police Station. SI Adnan Ghayoor had been conducting operations for several days with a team to arrest Umar alias Cheena, who was wanted in robbery and other serious criminal cases.

On Wednesday morning, the SI spotted the suspect near QJ Heights and sought assistance from the CCD team and Chaklala police. Realising that police were present, the suspect attempted to flee. However, the SI showed exceptional courage and managed to overpower him single-handedly.

The CCTV footage showed that Ghayoor attempting to restrain the suspect, who resisted and grappled with him. During the struggle, the suspect opened fire at close range. A bullet struck the SI in the head, killing him on the spot.

The suspect also sustained an injury to his foot after stepping on broken glass but managed to flee the scene.

According to officials, CCD Regional Officer Hassan Jahangir Wattoo, District Officer Mirza Javed Iqbal and other police personnel continued to pursue the suspect. Following blood trails, the police team tracked him down. During an alleged exchange of fire, Umar alias Cheena was injured and later succumbed to his wounds.

After collecting forensic evidence from the scene, police shifted the body of SI Ghayoor and the deceased suspect to hospital. The funeral prayers for the martyred officer were offered at the Police Lines Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

The martyred SI belonged to Kallar Syedan and lived with his family in Dhoke Munshi. He is survived by his mother, wife and eight children. In addition to supporting his own family, he had adopted three abandoned children and was also providing for their upbringing.

Ghayoor's maternal uncle described him as a courageous nephew and said the family was proud that he had embraced martyrdom while performing his duty.