Rawalpindi - Chontra police have booked the nephew of Punjab Law Minister along with his private security guards under murder and attempted murder charges after a gun battle broke out between two parties in Rajhar village leaving a man dead and injured three others, informed sources on Friday.
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered on complaint of Azhar Ali, a victim and resident of Rajhar, under sections 302/324/109/148/149 of PPC against Raja Tauran, the nephew of law minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, and his four to five private security guards deputed on a piece of land to guard it from land mafia, they said.
Police have arrested as many as five suspects including three private guards of Raja Tauran besides recovering weapons, two vehicles and a motorcycle, according to a police spokesman.
According to sources, Azhar Ali lodged a complaint with PS Chontra officials that he and other family members were preparing to slaughter an animal on Eid ul Azha when it managed to run away. He said they started chasing the animal and when they reached in front of the house of Malik Zulfiqar, the private guards of Raja Tauran pointed their guns towards us and shouted to not cross the point or else they would be gunned down as per orders of Raja Tauran. In the meanwhile, one of the guards contacted Raja Tauran on mobile phone who asked his guards to not let anybody pass the point of his lands and to shoot them out if they make any violation. He alleged the private guards started firing at them while injuring Imran Khan and Mehmood Ahmed critically. The applicant said the family members were shifting the injured to hospital for medical treatment when Mehmood Ahmed died due to excessive bleeding. He asked police to register case against Raja Tauran and his guards and to arrest them. Police booked the accused and started investigation.
According to a police spokesman, a man was killed while three others got injured in an armed clash between Raja Tauran group and locals. He said the deceased has been identified as Mehmood while the injured have been identified as Asif, Nadim and Imran.
He said police registered a murder case against the accused and held many suspects. He said the police are carrying raids to arrest the nominated accused in the case.
“Rawalpindi police believes in merit-based policy and are also fully prepared to protect the lives and property of public,” said City Police Officer (CPO) Muhammad Ahsan Younas in a statement.
On the other hand, Raja Tauran, while talking to The Nation, said he was roped in the murder case without any reason. “I have nothing to do with this case. I own my land there and deployed my guards to keep the land mafia away,” he said adding that his uncle Muhammad Basharat Raja, the law minister of Punjab, might have snubbed him for deputing guards there.
Meanwhile, sources disclosed to The Nation that a local land mafia gang, led by Mehru Sepoy and Azhar, comprising 20 gunmen, all allegedly under influence of alcohol, had launched an armed attack on posts of security guards of Raja Tauran to grab his land and also fired on guards. The guards retaliated also, they said.