Citizens catch fleeing robber in do-or-die move
It was the usual morning rush at a roadside restaurant in the North Karachi area with workers flipping parathas and omelets, and pouring steaming tea into cups for people heading to work. Some were browsing through newspaper others glued to mobile phone screens and few talking to each other.
The quaint atmosphere was shattered when two suspects riding a motorcycle rolled in. As they got off the two-wheeler, one of the suspects pulled out a pistol and cocked it and told everyone to handover their mobiles and wallets. The sidekick got busy collecting the cash and cell phones while the robber kept yelling to hurry up.
Having collected the booty, the robbers turned to get on the ride. Just then, people, incensed by rising inflation and shocking electricity bills, in a do-or-die move rushed at the fleeing suspects. They managed to pull the pillion rider down while the rider sped off.
The citizens gave a sound thrashing to the suspect, while some others called police emergency 15.
On receiving the information on the wireless about the suspect on the run, a police patrol spotted and caught him.
Meanwhile, a squad of Khawaja Ajmir Nagri police station hauled away the suspect caught by the citizens. According to the SHO Khawaja Ajmer Nagri, the injured dacoits have told their names as M. Hussain son of Jamshed and Shehryar son of Shakeel Shah. Mobile phones, cash and motorcycles were recovered from the possession of the arrested robbers. According to the police, the arrested accused are habitual criminals and have been arrested before.
Robber kills citizen
A robber shot and killed 32-year-old Yaqub Ahmed on putting up resistance. He was the 93rd person to be killed during robberies in the city during this year.
Shah Latif Town police station SHO Mumtaz Marwat said that Ahmed was sitting outside his home when two suspects came on a motorbike. One of the suspects, later identified as Sajjad, pulled out a pistol and told Ahmed to handover his cash and mobile phone. Ahmed tried to run inside, on which Sajjad shot him in the head, took his cash and cell phone and fled.
However, people alerted by the gunshot, intercepted the suspects and managed to catch Sajjad and handed him over to the police.
SHO Marwat said that police recovered the murder weapon, a 9mm pistol, and Ahmed's cell phone from Sajjad.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2023.