Encounter: Chotu Gang member shot dead in shootout, says CPO

MULTAN:

Police claimed on Thursday to have killed two members of Chotu gang in a shootout on Wednesday night.

City Police Officer (CPO) Azhar Akram said five men had snatched a motorbike from Riaz Ahmed, a villager, near Basti Malook at around midnight. He said police had set up pickets in the area after they were informed of the incident.

He said during a search of the area led by Basti Malook SHO Arshad and Sub-Inspector Irshad, the robbers were spotted.

The CPO said when they were asked to surrender, they shot at the police team. He said when police returned fire, two of them were killed on the spot. The CPO said three others managed to flee.

He said one of the deceased was identified as Aijaz Markandi who had been wanted for 10 murders. The other had not been identified, he said. The CPO said Markandi had been declared proclaimed offender by the court. Akram said Markandi was Chothu gang’s main man in Vehari. He said Markandi had killed seven policemen in various shootouts. He said Rs1.3 million reward had been announced for his capture.

The CPO said police believed that Mana Langah, Shafiq Wains, Aijaz Markandi had been among the five men who had snatched the motorbike from the villager. The CPO said they left behind a Kalashnikov rifle, a pistol, 50 bullets, two motorbikes and an assortment of stolen articles when they fled. He announced cash rewards for the police team for killing “two high-value targets.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2015.