ISLAMABAD: A suspect in a fraud case linked to a Pakistani university graduate’s suspected suicide was fatally shot by his accomplices during an attempt to free him from police custody, police said on Tuesday, as officers transported him through Islamabad to recover evidence.

The graduate, Laiba Ijaz, a gold medalist from the International Islamic University Islamabad, was found dead earlier this month after her family was allegedly defrauded of millions of rupees by a man promising to secure her admission to a university in the United States.

The case drew national attention after reports that Ijaz’s father had sold a plot of land and the family had pledged her mother’s jewelry to finance her education abroad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the suspect’s arrest, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the investigation as a “test case” for authorities.

“The police team was taking the suspect in custody to recover evidence based on information he had disclosed and locations he had identified,” a police statement said.

“During the journey, four alleged accomplices, riding two motorcycles and lying in wait, opened indiscriminate fire on the police team in an attempt to free the suspect,” it added. “The suspect, Muhammad Nauman, was injured in the gunfire from his own accomplices.”

Police said the shooting occurred within the jurisdiction of Ramna police station in the federal capital. Officers escaped injury because they were wearing bulletproof vests and had taken other protective measures, the statement said.

Nauman was taken to hospital for treatment but subsequently died of his injuries, it continued, adding that search operations were underway to arrest the attackers.

The incident means the allegations against Nauman will not be tested in court, leaving questions over the alleged fraud that prompted a high-profile government investigation.

Police had launched an investigation into Ijaz’s suspected suicide and allegations that a man posing as a government official had deceived her family by promising to arrange her admission to a US university.

Earlier this month, Naqvi visited the bereaved family, promising to bring those responsible to justice and recover the money allegedly taken from them.

“I will personally pursue their case,” he told reporters during the visit.

The Federal Investigation Agency also opened an inquiry into the alleged fraud, while police said they were investigating the circumstances of Ijaz’s death.

Authorities have not announced the outcome of the investigation into Ijaz’s death or whether any of the money allegedly taken from the family has been recovered.