LAHORE: Pakistani Police have killed one of the four robbers who allegedly gang-raped a 22-year-old bride on the first night of her wedding in Punjab province.
Four robbers clad in police uniforms on May 26 barged into a house after a wedding ceremony in a village of Shujabad in Multan district, some 35 kms from Lahore, and held the family hostage.
They entered the couple's room where they gang-raped the bride in front of her husband after torturing them, police said.
The woman's medical report later confirmed the rape.
Following the incident, there was a huge pressure of the villagers and media on police to nab the culprits.
Both Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and directed the police top command to arrest the culprits at the earliest.
The Punjab police in a statement issued here on Friday said that one of the four robbers involved in the gang-rape has been killed in an encounter.
"Robber and rapist Abid Hussain alias Abidi was killed in a police encounter during a cross fire," a Punjab police spokesman said.
He said police made sketches of the robbers on the information of the victim's family and through them reached the culprit.
"The sketch of Abidi, who was wanted in other robbery and rape cases in Shujabad, matched.
Police arrested him and recovered a weapon and a motorcycle looted during a dacoity," the spokesman said.
Abidi was being taken for more recovery on Friday when some of his accomplices attacked the police team on way to get him released and opened fire.
During the crossfire, Abidi was killed in the firing by his own colleagues while his colleagues succeeded to escape, he said.
"Abidi was involved in more than 40 cases of murder and rape during robbery and theft. He was also involved in a robbery-cum-murder case in which a bride was raped on the first night of her marriage in Haji Shahwala area of Shujabad last year," the police said and added raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining three suspects in this case.
The police spokesperson further said Abidi was presented before the bride for identification.
After her confirmation, some gold ornaments, which were looted from the victim, were also recovered from him, he said.
A police officer of Punjab police told PTI that their team has identified the three accomplices of Abidi who were involved in the rape of the bride.
"There had been immense pressure on the police from the government to trace the culprits and bring them to justice," he said, adding that one of the main culprits has been "brought to justice in an encounter" and soon the other three will be arrested.