Citizen kills injured robber in Karachi

A video clip circulating on social media shows that a suspected bandit who police claimed was shot dead by his accomplice, had actually been killed by an enraged mob in SITE Industrial Area off Superhighway on the first day of Eidul Fitr.

The fatal shooting occurred during an attempted bike snatching in the Faqira Goth area in which a young man named Matiullah was injured. Initially, police claimed that the bandit was shot dead by his accomplice, but later a video circulating on social media contradicted this account.

The video shows an enraged mob torturing the alleged bandit, identified as Rizwan from South Waziristan tribal district, with a man seen firing at him, resulting in the bandit's death.

After the video went viral, police revised their statement, asserting that Javed, Matiullah's uncle, fired the fatal shots. Upon hearing news of Matiullah's death, Javed retaliated with the bandit's own pistol. The bandit sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his face and body.

Inspector Aqeel Ahmed, SHO of Site Industrial Area police station, said that a mob caught hold of an armed mugger attempting to rob a local resident. During the confrontation, gunshots were fired, injuring a man and resulting in the bandit's death.

A case was registered, and Javed, identified in the video, was taken into custody, along with the confiscated pistol. SHO Aqeel Ahmed called upon law abiding people to follow legal procedures whenever the capture muggers instead of lynching them in so-called mob justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2024.