Robbers kill four in 15 days of current month

LAHORE:The death toll under the head of “robbery-cum murder” rose to four during the first 15 days of January as another citizen was gunned down in a broad daylight in Manga Mandi area here on Wednesday.

The robbers gunned down an old man and looted Rs 500,000 in cash in Manga Mandi area. The victim was identified as Hafeez-ur-Rehman.

The victim withdrew the cash from a local bank and was on his way in a private van when some robbers intercepted the vehicle and made the victim Hafeez hostage at gunpoint. Hafeez offered resistance, upon which the robbers shot and wounded him and took away the cash. The injured Hafeez was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced brought dead.

Robbery and theft incidents are surging in the provincial metropolis though the Lahore police claimed to have arrested dozens of robbers and thieves.

On Jan 14, robbers shot dead a shopkeeper in Akbari Gate area. The victim, Nasir, was present at his shop when some robbers stormed into his shop and made him hostage at gunpoint. The robbers were collecting cash and other valuables when Nasir offered resistance to foil their attempt to rob. Upon which, one of the robbers fired a shot at him, resulting into a fatal gunshot wound to his head. The robbers comfortably escaped, exposing the so-called patrolling of Dolphin, PRU and local police. The injured Nasir was shifted to Yakki Gate Hospital where he succumbed to his wound.

On Jan 10, a security guard was shot dead by three robbers in the limits of Sundar police. It was the second murder committed by the robbers on resistance in the provincial metropolis during the first ten days of January 2020. The victim identified as Khalid hailed from Pattoki and worked as a security guard in Bahria Town.

On the day of incident, the victim was patrolling the housing society on a bike when he spotted three robbers standing in front of an empty plot. Upon being asked about their identity, the three started manhandling with Khalid and later fired shots at him when he offered resistance. The three robbers escaped along with the victim’s pistol.

The injured Khalid was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced brought dead. Jan 2, a security guard was killed by four robbers in a warehouse in Rehmat Colony Kot Lakhpat area. The victim identified as Inam was stabbed to death by the robbers when he offered resistance to foil their attempt to rob. The robbers took away Rs 1000,000 in cash and other goods.