FAISALABAD, Nov 25: Police claimed on Tuesday to have killed four criminals in a ‘shootout’ on Dasoha Road in Dijkot police precincts.

Police said four outlaws snatched a car, two cell phones, a pistol and cash from Iftikhar Ahmad of Kharian Warraichan on Monday night when he was on his way home near Chak 235-RB in Sadar police limits.

After receiving information, a police team chased the dacoits and stopped them near Roshanwali Jhal. The accused took shelter in a sugarcane field and opened fire on police. During a crossfire, three dacoits were killed on the spot while another succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital.

Police claimed that the encounter lasted for nearly three hours, however, no cop suffered injury.

The deceased were identified as Aziz alias Jaja of Yazman Mandi, Pervaiz alias Peja of Hasilpur, Kashif alias Kashi of Bahawalpur and Amjad alias Jara of Harcharnpura, Faisalabad.

Aziz was wanted by Yazman police in 28 cases, Amjad by five police stations of Faisalabad in 12 cases and Kashif by Civil Lines police, Bahawalpur in nine cases. Aziz with a Rs100,000 head money had been declared proclaimed offender on Dec 29, 2000. protests: The death of an under-trial prisoner at the district jail sparked a protest on Jail Road by his family on Tuesday.

Ishfaq Ahmad who was booked by the Madina Town police a couple of months ago, died in the district jail under mysterious circumstances.

His family and some neighbourers blocked Jail Road and chanted slogans against jail authorities. They alleged that Ishfaq was tortured to death.

Jail authorities claimed that Ishfaq suffered a cardiac arrest and Rescue 1122 shifted him to the District Headquarters Hospital, but to no avail.

Protesters dispersed peacefully when jail officials assured them that a probe would be held into the matter.

The body was removed to Allied Hospital for autopsy. fraud case: The Gulberg police have registered a case against the recently sacked finance director of the Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) for issuing a bogus cheque to a colleague, who is also incarcerated in a corruption case.

Former GCUF treasurer Qazi Khalilur Rehman said that he had given Rs1.5 million to finance director Ghulam Safdar Mian on Oct 15, 2007 for his personal consumption.

He said when he demanded his money back, Mian started opting delaying tactics and hatching conspiracy instead.

Rehman was booked by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Jan 30, 2008 on corruption charges and is detained in the district jail.

Rehman said he was implicated in the case as he was pressing Mian hard to return his money. Mian used an accountant Ghulam Shabbir, who was already in the ACE custody, against him for this purpose.

Mian was also shown the door on Nov 11 along with two others on similar complaints.

After a thorough investigation, the police registered a case against Mian as the cheque he gave to Rehman was dishonoured.

The police are also conducting raids to arrest Mian.