‘Vice police’: ‘Vigilante’ shot dead

Deceased, relatives were trying to kick out neighbour, claim brothel operating on premises.

ISLAMABAD: A man was shot dead in Burma Town after he and his relatives tried to illegally evict a neighbour late on Monday.

The Khanna police said that Waqas Risalat, 23, a resident of Burma Town, was allegedly shot dead after he and his family members attempted to enter the house and kick out the inmates. The deceased’s family claimed that the rented house is being used as a brothel by the tenant, a single woman named KB*, 45.

Risalat’s family claims that when they approached KB’s house, five men came out of the house, one of whom, identified as Azam alias Billa, was carrying a gun.

A police source said that a scuffle broke out after the vigilantes refused to leave. “Azam fired a shot that hit Waqas Risalat. All five men escaped afterwards,” the source said.

Risalat’s brother Junaid Ahmed told The Express Tribune that his family had been living in the area for the past ten years. He said KB rented the house a year ago and claimed that she had been running a brothel there.

Ahmed said his uncle and other “prominent residents” of the area had reported this to the Khanna Police Station a number of times, but the police did not act on complaints.

He said that the locals had no option but to take the law into their own hands.

Ahmed also claimed that the men who came out of KB’s house were “drug peddlers backed by influential people”, and that the police were hesitating over arresting them.

Khanna Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Muhammad Shan said a murder case has been registered against Muhammad Rafique, Jabir, Kashif alias Kashi, Azam alias Billa and Imtiaz. No arrests had been made till the filing of this report.

Shan said the five men were previously suspected to be drug peddling.

Khanna SHO Aashiq Hussain said he has only recently taken charge at the police station, but had not heard or received any complaints referring to a brothel operating out of the house. The officer added that Risalat’s group also opened fire at some point and had injured one of the accused men.

*Name withheld to protect identity.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2015.