FAISALABAD: The camera footage shared with media persons raise doubts over police claims that two robbers had been gunned down in an encounter at Rabbani Colony in the Batala Colony police jurisdiction on Monday.

The CCTV shows that a suspected robber was walking ahead of a Dolphin Force constable who opened fire on his leg and the suspect fell on the ground. He handed over his pistol to the constable without opening fire.

Hospital sources said the deceased had seven to eight bullets on his body, although the footage showed that the robber had surrendered after receiving a single bullet on his leg.

A police team claimed in the FIR that Dolphin Force constables on suspicion signalled four people riding two motorcycle and the latter opened hre on the constables as a result of which six people were injured. The officials, they said, retaliated and the Batala Colony SHO and other policemen also reached the spot and joined the encounter. One robber died on the spot and another on way to hospital, police said, adding that two others escaped.

Police said six people suf fered injuries in the fir-ing of the robbers.

The footage showed that a robber pointed a gun towards a Dolphin constable who was without helmet and after some time he surrendered and gave his pistol to the constable.

Police claimed that the robbers also opened fire on the constables who narrowly escaped.

Police said the f amily of one of the deceased robbers obtained his body from the Allied Hospital morgue. They said investigation was under way to trace the other members of gang. Both the robbers, they said, were involved in robberies in Lahore and Faisalabad and several cases had been registered against them.

There are many incidents in which police get away with fake encounters; the Gulberg police a few days ago had gunned down an alleged robber who, they said, opened fire on police.

Later, a video went viral on the social media showing that a policeman had pumped bullets into his body when he was lying on the footpath. No action had been taken against the policeman who killed the man without provocation.

A police officer believes that the media should abstain f rom reporting such incidents in which robbers are looting people at gunpoint. However, he declined to comment when reminded that policemen keep people in illegal detention and commit other wrongs.

Recently, SHO Ahmed Munil Shah had been suspended from service as he kept a man in illegal detention and demanded gratification. The man was eventually released after greasing the palms of the SHO.