Joint operations: Alleged gang member and two others shot dead

Police arrest extortionist in an alleged encounter.

KARACHI:

An alleged gangster was among three people killed during separate encounters with the police and Rangers in Steel Town and Lyari on Monday.

In Steel Town, two criminals were shot dead during an alleged encounter with the police on Link Road within the jurisdiction of the Steel Town police station. The police said that the encounter took place when five unidentified men on two motorcycles were trying to escape after mugging three men in a car. The police believe the men were on their way to Hyderabad. SHO Haroon Korai said that the police chased the suspects after the men who had been robbed complained. He added that they were chasing the suspects and there was an exchange of fire between them. Two of the robbers were injured while the other three managed to escape.

The injured were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre but they died on the way to the hospital.

Police officials claim to have recovered two pistols, cash and cell phones from them. After the medico-legal formalities were completed, the deceased were taken to the Edhi morgue.

A suspected gang member identified as Sardar was killed in a joint operation conducted by the police and Rangers. They claim he was wanted in several extortion and target killing cases, including that of an officer from the Crime Investigation Department.

SSP Sheeraz Nazeer said that the gang member was killed at his hideout in Moosa Lane, Baghdadi. He added that the police and Rangers faced resistance from the other gang members in the area who had started to fire at them. In retaliation, the police and Rangers also opened fire. Sardar was killed in this exchange of fire. His body was taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi.

The police recovered a pistol from his possession.

In another encounter, an alleged extortionist was arrested in an injured condition during an alleged encounter with the police in the Old City area. Police officials said that the accused, who was later identified as Iftikhar, was extorting money from a trader in Pan Mandi, adding that a weapon was also recovered from his possession.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2014.