Key suspect of Ameer Balaj murder case Teefi Butt killed ‘in gun battle’
- Two police officials injured in fire exchange being treated at hospital
A proclaimed offender Khawaja Tareef Butt alias Teefi Butt was killed in exchange of gunfire between police and criminals in Rahim Yar Khan on Saturday, the Crime Control Department (CCD) Punjab said.
Teefi, wanted in Ameer Balaj murder case, landed at Quaid-e-Azam International Airport Karachi on Friday. The CCD team obtained his custody from the Karachi airport at around 3:15pm and departed for Lahore by road.
When the CCD team reached near Sanjarpur, in the wee hours of Saturday, a number of armed assailants intercepted the police vehicle and opened indiscriminate fire. During the exchange of fire, a CCD officer sustained serious bullet injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital. The assailants freed the arrested accused person from CCD custody and escaped, the CCD said in a statement.
The officials immediately sought assistance of local police and CCD officers. At around 5:00 am, the Rahim Yar Khan CCD team spotted two suspicious vehicles and tried to intercept them. A heavy exchange of gunfire ensued between the CCD team and the assailants, lasting for about 20 to 25 minutes.
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One person was found seriously injured at the scene. He succumbed to his injuries while being brought to a local hospital by the CCD team. Later on he was identified as Teefi. Another police official also sustained serious injuries in the gun battle. He was shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The CCD said multiple teams from both the local police and CCD Rahim Yar Khan are actively pursuing those involved in the attack, which injured two police officials and killed Teefi.
Case background
Ameer Balaj Tipu was offspring the of Lahore’s famous business and political family, the “Truckanwala”. His grandfather, Billa Truckanwala and father, Arif alias Tipu Truckanwala, were big names in the goods transport industry.
However, the feud between his family and the Lahore’s Butt Gang (which included Gogi Butt and Teefi Butt) that had been going on since 1993 claimed many lives, Aaj News reported.
After the murder of Billa in 1994, Tipu took revenge on his father’s killers, but this revenge cycle could not be ended. In 2010, Tipu Truckan Wala was shot dead in the Lahore Airport parking lot. After this murder, the hostility turned towards his son Ameer.
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On February 18, 2024, a shooting took place at a wedding ceremony in Chohang area of Lahore, in which three people, including Ameer, got wounded. Later, Ameer succumbed to his injuries upon arrival at the hospital. According to the police, the attack was masterminded by the Gogi Butt group.
Immediately after the attack, police arrested several suspects, while Ahsan Shah, a close friend of Ameer, was also detained on charges of being an “informant.” He was allegedly killed in a police encounter.
During the investigation, the police named Gogi and Teefi for planning and financing the murder. Teefi later fled abroad, but was extradited to Pakistan after being arrested by Interpol.