JHELUM: A man, who allegedly killed his three children by throwing them into a canal near Jhelum, was shot dead in a crossfire after he tried to escape from police custody with the help of his two unidentified accomplices in the Mangla police limits late Saturday night.
According to sources in the Mangla police, a team of investigators was taking Zeeshan Farooq to the site where he had allegedly thrown his two daughters and son into the canal when two of his accomplices, already on the run, opened fire at the police to get the suspect released.
During the police encounter and cross-firing, Farooq was hit by bullets fired by his accomplices. The injured died while being shifted to hospital.
When contacted, District Police Officer Shafeeq Chaudhry confirmed the incident to Dawn. He said the police had launched a hunt for the arrest of the attackers.
Farooq, 32, resident of Dhoke Subdaran, was arrested in connection with the drowning of his three minor children – Fajar, 8, Umar, 5, and Noor, 2 - in the upper Jhelum canal.