 A leader of Awami Swechchhasebak League and an alleged criminal were killed in 'crossfire' during a shootout between a criminal gang and a joint team of anticrime forces Cobra and Cheetah in Gulshan of the capital early yesterday. The victims are Shangkar alias Kishore, 35, sports secretary of Gulshan thana unit of Swechchhasebak League, and Aslam alias Kashai Aslam. Police said the members of Cobra and Cheetah arrested the two on Tuesday and took the arrestees to an empty plot at Rasulbagh under Gulshan Police Station early yesterday after they admitted that they had hidden firearms there.
| Just to repeat, Cobra and Cheetah took the bad guys to a empty plot under the Gulshan police station where the bad guys said thay had hid guns. |
"As the joint team reached the spot at about 3:30am, 10 to 12 criminals opened fire on them, forcing the police to retaliate.
| At 3:30 in the morning, there was a dozen hoods hiding out under the cop shop. They opened up on the coppers who wuz searching for the hidden stash of guns |
During the exchange of shots, Sangkar and Aslam sustained bullets when they tried to escape from captivity," said Faruq Ahmed, deputy commissioner of the Detective Branch.
| The classic "Shot while trying to escape" |
Both the injured were declared dead after they were taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). Seven bullets pierced through Sangkar's forehead, chest and other parts of his body while Aslam received one bullet in the head.
| Let me guess, behind the ear? |
| Seven time in the forehead, chest, and other parts of the body, at 3.30 a.m., in the dark... |
| Clearly the fella who did the shootin' wasn't trained by Hek ... |
Assistant Sub-Inspector of police AB Siddique and constables Rafiq and Jahangir also suffered injuries during the shootout, the police claimed. The law-enforcers seized one revolver, two bullets, one used bullet and 65 bottles of Phensidyle from the spot after the incident.
| "seized one revolver": commonly called a "plant" |
| ... that was used to bump the guy off at 3.30 a.m. in a vacant lot in the dark... |
| Was it a .38 Police Special? ... |
A team of Cobra had nabbed Aslam, accused in two murder cases, from Mirpur at about 8:00pm on Tuesday. Following his confessional statement, a Cobra-Cheetah joint team arrested Sangkar at Mohakhali at about 10:30pm. A police press release said Sangkar also was a listed criminal and accused in more than one criminal cases. During a visit to the area yesterday morning this correspondent found Sangkar lying in a pool of blood with his hands still inside the pockets of his pant.
| I always keep my hands in my pockets while trying to escape. |
General Secretary of Swechchhasebak League Pankaj Debnath told The Daily Star that Sangkar was an active leader of the organisation. "He was not a criminal. The cases filed against him are political ones," he said.
Another version: Two suspected terrorists were killed in an 'encounter' anti-crime units with Cheetah and Cobra, in the city in the small hours of yesterday. Police recovered arms and ammunition from their possession. The deceased were identified as Shankar alias Kishor (30), a ward leader of Gulshan Thana Awami Sechhasebok League, son of Jugol Chandra Shil hailing from Godnail in Narayanganj and his accomplice Aslam alias Kasai Aslam. Earlier, a squad of Cobra, a special team of detective branch, acting on a tip off arrested Aslam from Mirpur Thana area at around 8 pm on Tuesday. Following Aslam's confessional statement the Cobra team arrested Shankar from Nihal Hotel near Royal Petrol Pump at Mohakhali area at around 10.30 pm the same day. According to police, following the criminals confessional statement a joint team of Cheetah and Cobra along with Shankar and Aslam went out for Rasulbagh at Mohakhali under Gulshan police station to nab their accomplices and recover arms and ammunition.
| Maybe they mean "under juristriction of Gulshan police" |
When they reached the area at around 3.30 am yesterday the accomplices of the listed criminals fired upon the police personnel. They instantly fired back. Both the criminals received bullet injuries. But the associates of the criminals managed to flee. Police recovered a .32 bore revolver, two rounds of bullet and 65 bottles of phensydil from the spot. The bodies of the criminals were sent to the Emergency Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where they succumbed to their injuries at around 4.30 am yesterday. Shankar was accused in seven criminal cases including three murders under Tejgaon and Gulshan police stations while Aslam was wanted in two murder cases. Quoting the criminals police said, Shankar and Aslam confessed that they were drug and arms traders.
| My sympathy meter hasn't stirred, but I'd definitely give it a cackle factor of 7.5... |
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