‘Caught red-handed’: Robbers beaten up, handed over to police

Suspects confess to being drug addicts, deny stealing anything.

GUJRANWALA/ MULTAN:

Two men said to be robbers were beaten up by a mob on Sunday and handed over to police.

Another man who had been with them fled. The two men were taken to a hospital before they were taken to the police station. They denied the robbery allegation but confessed to being drug addicts.

Aroop police said three men had entered a house in Alfalah City early morning and taken away Rs30,000 and a motorcycle key. The landlord, Muhammad Shoaib, saw them trying to start the motorcycle parked in the garage and shouted for help.

Police said one of the robbers caught him and tied rope around his neck and told him to be quiet.



But some neighbours had already come out of their homes and gathered in front of the house. Some of them went in and caught two of the robbers. Their accomplice fled. These men, later joined by more neighbours, beat up the robbers and made them apologise.

Shoaib also informed the police and two men- later identified as Bilal and Sohaib- were taken into custody.

They were treated for their injuries before being taken to the police station.

Police said both denied having entered the house and said that they were mistaken for robbers among the crowd.



Bilal told police that he was smoking hashish sitting next to a wall of the house when a group of men gathered there.

Sohaib, who said he was also smoking hashish, ran on hearing police van siren. He said some men caught him and accused him of being one of the robbers. He said he was certain that the robbers fled taking advantage of the crowd. Police said they recovered two mobile phones from those arrested. They speculated that the loot was taken away by third accomplice.

Servants accused of theft

In Multan, a man accused his servants of stealing cash, gold jewellery and other valuable items from his house on Sunday. Faraz Ahmed, a resident of Nawabpur Road, filed a complaint with the Gulgasht police.

He said his servants Ambar, Samreen, Kausar and Ashfaq stole Rs25,000, 45 grams of gold ornaments and other valuables from his house.

Police have registered a case and started investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2013.