Two fruit sellers, arrested in two brothers’ murder case, killed in alleged encounter

LAHORE: Two fruit sellers, arrested in connection with the murder of two brothers over a Rs30 dispute, were killed in an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) of police in Lahore’s Manga Mandi area on Thursday, ARY News reported.

According to CCD officials, the suspects – identified as Owais and Shehzad – were in custody and being taken to the crime scene for investigation when their accomplices ambushed the police team in an attempt to free them.

During the exchange of fire, the two arrested suspects were killed. Police said the attackers, led by a suspect named Tauqeer, opened fire on the CCD team before fleeing the scene. A search operation has been launched to trace and arrest them.

The deceased suspects had allegedly tortured and killed two brothers a few days earlier over a petty dispute of Rs30 involving the purchase of bananas.

Read More: Two killed for Rs30: Murders over petty disputes reflect rising frustration in society

The increasing number of daily reports involving killings over minor disputes reflects a growing sense of frustration and intolerance in Pakistani society.

The heart-wrenching incident in Raiwind area of Lahore, two brothers were beaten to death by fruit vendors following a dispute over the price of bananas. According to police reports, Wajid and Rashid had purchased a dozen bananas for Rs130 but only had a Rs100 note and a Rs5000 note. A heated argument ensued over the remaining Rs30.

The altercation escalated when the fruit vendor called over his associates, who were playing nearby. The group brutally attacked the two brothers, resulting in their deaths. Disturbingly, several bystanders witnessed the assault but chose not to intervene—instead, many were seen recording the tragic incident on their mobile phones. Eyewitnesses reported that the altercation continued for hours, but police failed to arrive to control the situation.