No honour among thieves: Robber shot dead by fleeing accomplices

Killed because he could not fit in to the getaway car.

ISLAMABAD:

After what appeared to be a failed bank robbery in Ali Pur Town on Wednesday, one of the alleged robbers was killed by his accomplices because he could not fit in the getaway car, police said.

Police said that the robber, a “bulky” man, was wearing a coat when he entered the Ali Pur branch of Habib Bank Limited during working hours. After noticing him behave suspiciously, bank employees informed the security guard.

When he saw the security guard, Mehtab Shah, moving towards him, the suspect started running. However, the security guard and Police Constable Muhammad Arshad, who was on duty near the bank, chased the suspect.

They managed to get hold of him after a brief chase and the policeman and guard attempted to subdue the robber, but ended up pulling off his coat instead. He said the security guard and the police official fired in to the air to deter the suspected robber, but he did not stop.

“The coat he was wearing was pulled off by the security officials during the scuffle,” said the police spokesperson. The robber then ran to the getaway car, which was parked across the road. However, after realising that he could not fit in the car and that the security men were close by, his accomplices pushed him out of the car, shot him, and sped off.

“One of the bullets hit the suspect in the head and he died at the spot,” said the police spokesperson. He added that his accomplices escaped in a grey Suzuki Mehran.

The body was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. It had not been identified till the filing of this report.

The Koral police reached the scene to collect evidence. They said they were investigating to trace the accomplices and the deceased’s family.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2011.