Suspected land mafia member killed in Surjani Town shooting

A suspected extortionist and land mafia member was killed and another person wounded in a firing incident that occurred within the remits of the Surjani Town police station on Saturday.

According to police, a clash occurred between a crowd of people and alleged extortionists outside an under-construction house in Rozi Goth when unidentified persons arrived there and exchanged hot words with house owners.

Soon, a score of residents of the area gathered at the scene and started pelting the alleged extortionists with stones. During the violence and clash, unidentified persons also resorted to indiscriminate fire.

Two persons were wounded in the incident. They were identified as Abdur Razzaq alias Imran, son of Abdul Khaliq, and Imtiaz, son of Nabi Bukhsh. Abdur Razzaq later died during treatment at hospital.

Following the incident, a heavy contingent of law enforcers, including police and Rangers, reached the crime scene, brought the situation under control and detained two suspects.

The owner of the under-construction house in his initial recorded statement to the police said that members of the land mafia had arrived at his house and were demanding extortion money.

He added that the members of the land mafia used to come and demand extortion money when any new construction started in the area but he refused to give them the extortion money, upon which they got angry and started threatening him.

He said area people joined them and offered resistance, upon which the members of the land mafia opened indiscriminate fire. Resultantly, one of their own land mafia members was killed.

Police said that the two persons who were detained were involved in the firing and they belonged to the land mafia.

Police suspected that besides land mafia members, some other unknown persons also apparently fired shots and it was being investigated whether the deceased person was killed by the firing of his own accomplices or in firing by someone else.

Police sources said that the incident apparently occurred over a land dispute and the clash between the house owner and the alleged land mafia members.

No case has been registered while further investigations are underway.

Train kills a man

A middle-aged man died after a train hit him on a railway track within the Drigh Road railway police post remits.

His body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities and then shifted to a morgue for want of identification.