LAHORE, July 29: Police claimed to have gunned down two alleged criminals in a ‘shootout’ in D-Block, Phase V of Defence Housing Authority, early Sunday.

Police said they seized a motorcycle and two pistols with live rounds from the spot and despatched the bodies for autopsy.

Cantonment SP (Operations) Maroof Safdar Wahla told Dawn the Defence B policemen present at a picket signaled four suspicious men riding two motorcycles to stop for checking around 3am.

The bikers, instead of stopping at the picket, opened fire on police, damaging a police vehicle parked nearby. They tried to escape while firing at policemen who gave them a chase and resorted to retaliatory fire.

In the cross-fire that lasted a few minutes, two of the suspects fell onto the ground and later died on the spot, the SP said, adding their two accomplices managed to escape.

He said the dead suspects were later identified as Rehmat Ali and Pervez Khan, both residents of Hanjhravi village Pattoki tehsil.

Mr Wahla said the police record showed that Rehmat was nominated in eight criminal cases including those of murder, attempted murder, dacoity, robbery, kidnapping, illegal arms etc, registered in police stations of Saray Mughal, Saddar Kasur, City Chunian and Saddar Pattoki of Kasur district.

He said Rehmat was also involved in extortions and his father and two brothers too had been killed in crossfire with police in Kasur district.

The SP said the other outlaw, Pervez, was also a proclaimed offender in two murder cases registered in Kasur district and acted as Rehmat’s bodyguard.

FOUND STRANGLED: A 35-year-old travel agent was found strangled in a government school in Rehmanpura on Sunday.

Wahdat Colony police identified the victim as Muhammad Ashraf of Rehmanpura and despatched the body for autopsy.

The victim’s family told police that Ashraf, father of two, left home on Saturday midnight saying he was going to get some call balance for his cell phone from a nearby shop but didn’t return.

On Sunday morning, his body was spotted in a toilet of nearby school.

Investigators found bruises on the victim’s throat.

The victim’s family and neighbours lodged a protest against the killing and alleged involvement of the school headmaster.

The SHO concerned said investigation was on.

DROWNED: A 10-year-old boy was feared drowned in the city canal near Thokar Niaz Baig Chowk while rescuers recovered the body of a 14-year-old boy from the canal on Sunday.

Rescue 1122 personnel said efforts to recover the body of the child who reportedly went missing near Thokar proved futile while the identity of the boy whose body was recovered could not be established yet.

ELECTROCUTED: A watchman was reportedly electrocuted at an under-construction house during Sehri in Royal Town of Chuhng on Sunday.

Edhi Ambulance Service sources said Abdul Sattar received electric shocks from a pedestal fan.

Police handed over the body to the deceased’s family after completion of legal formalities.