Teefi Butt residing in London

LONDON/LAHORE: Teefi Butt, Lahore’s famous property trader and one of the prime suspects in Ameer Balaj Tipu murder case, have been living in a relative in West London for a few weeks.

Khawaja Tareef alias Teefi Butt and Khawaja Aqeel alias Gogi Butt in Ameer Balaj Tipu murder case were declared proclaimed offenders (POs) by the Punjab Police on March 31. Butt arrived in London several days before being declared a PO.

According to DIG Organised Crime Unit (OCU) Lahore, police after declaring them POs had started the procedure to get red warrants issued against them and would involve the interior ministry to bring the accused to Pakistan using International Police (Interpol).

Ameer Balaj Tipu was attending a marriage ceremony in a private housing society last month when he had been shot dead by a suspected shooter later identified as Muzaffar Hussain. Police has said that Hussain was a gunman of Teefi Butt for 30 years. Muzaffar himself was shot dead instantly after the murder. Teefi and Gogi were nominated in FIR registered by Ameer Moasab, younger brother of Balaj.

The investigations so far pointed as Teefi the main character in masterminding the murder of the Tipu Tarakan Wala family scion.

However, prime suspect Teefi Butt has denied any involvement in the killing.

“I have nothing to do with Amir Balaj’s murder,” declared Teefi Butt in a video, firmly denying any culpability. He further assured that he will cooperate with the police and willingly provide his statement upon his return to Pakistan from London.

On Tuesday, a judicial magistrate in Lahore sent Haroon Farooq, an accused in Balaj murder case, to jail on 14-day judicial remand, denying police request for extending the physical remand.