Accused in professor’s murder case killed in ‘encounter’

An accused in the killing of a professor during a robbery bid in January was shot dead during an alleged police encounter on Sunday.

According to the police report, on January 6, the accused, 36-year-old Azeem Siddique, became involved in the case of killing of Prof. Asif Bukhari when he resisted a robbery bid at a shop in Batala Colony.

Azeem Siddique, who had been arrested over a week ago, was being taken by the investigation-in-charge of the Batala Colony Police Station, Sub-Inspector Muhammad Nasir, for recovery of the weapon used in the killing of the professor when some people on a motorcycle opened fire on the police vehicle near a mill on the Samundari Road and got their accomplice released from police custody and fled towards the city.

Meanwhile, the SHO of D-Type Colony, Hamad Yousuf, pursued the accused while the SHO of Batala Colony, Inspector Ayub Sahi, erected a blockade near the LCM High School on the Samundari Road.

They signaled the accused riding on motorcycles to stop, but instead of doing so they opened fire on the police party.

During the retaliatory fire from the police, the alleged bandit Azeem, who had been earlier gotten freed from police custody by his accomplices, was severely injured.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.

Police handed over his body to his heirs after an autopsy and filed a case against the absconding robbers and started raids to find them.

Police sources had said last month that seven people had been killed for resisting robbery bids in the district since January 1 this year.

The police stations in which people were killed for resistance were Batala Colony Police Station, Nishatabad Police Station, Millat Town Police Station, Thikriwala Police Station, Khurrianwala Police Station, Balochni Police Station and Dijkot Police Station.

Several cases of shooting of civilians for resisting robbery have been registered in the city, with police seemingly struggling to control the rising wave of crime in the district.

Incidents of robberies and street crimes are common in the region.

During one such incident last month, suspects fatally shot a shopkeeper after he resisted their bid to rob him.

According to the police report, Muhammad Kazim, a resident of Chak 37 North, had set up a shop along with his father, 30-year-old Azam, near Sheikhupura Road.

Two suspects on a motorcycle had arrived at the shop late at night and tried to snatch cash from Azam, who drew a licensed pistol to defend himself.

However, the robbers got the better of him and fired at him first, hitting him in the abdomen and chest.

The robbers escaped the scene while Azam was critically wounded.

Rescue 1122 personnel rushed Muhammad Azam to the Allied Hospital where he died.

Upon receiving the information, police officers, including the DSP of Khurrianwala, Usman Warraich, reached the spot where they returned the body of the deceased to his son, Muhammad Kazim.

A case under Sections 302 and 393T was registered, and police started searching for the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2022.