LAHORE: Two gunmen allegedly shot dead a couple on the premises of the Sessions Court here on Thursday.

The shooting created a panic as lawyers and visitors rushed for shelter.

The initial police inquiries suggested the assassins were relatives of the slain couple. The police managed to arrest the accused from the crime scene after a brief search and chase.

The district and sessions judge called an emergent meeting shortly after the double murder to review the security lapses.Operations DIG Ali Nasir Rizvi told Dawn Mohammad Saleem and Sughran Bibi had a property dispute with their close relatives. He said Saleem`s brother Ameen was also facing an allegation of murder of three people in the jurisdiction of Chuhng police.

The DIG said several members of the family were involved in multiple killings following some property disputes. He said the suspects arrested by the police had taken shelter in a lawyer`s chamber shortly after committing the crime. The police personnel deputed at the court chased and arrested them after a brief resist-ance.

The DIG said 62 police personnel were discharging security duties at various entry/exit gates of the court who checked 40,000 visitors, including lawyers, everyday.

He said the two suspects who allegedly killed the couple were also checked by the police at the main gate. He said an inquiry was under way to find out as to how they managed to take weapons to the court.

He said upper part of the body of each visitor was searched under the given SOPs. He said the security protocols were being revised for full-body search to prevent such incidentsinfuture.