Two suspected kidnappers were killed in an alleged police encounter in the Civil Lines area of Mandi Bahauddin, police said on Monday.

According to officials, the suspects had abducted a gold trader last month, struck him on the head with a hammer and killed him before dumping his body in a nearby drain.

They allegedly demanded and received Rs2.5 million from the victim’s family in exchange for identifying the location of the body.

The CIA police had earlier arrested the suspects along with the murder weapon and recovered Rs982,000 from the ransom amount.

Police said the accused were being taken for further recovery near the village of Khewra when their accomplices allegedly opened fire to help them escape.

In the ensuing exchange, both detained suspects were killed.

The bodies were shifted to a hospital for post-mortem examination. Further investigation is underway.