Emboldened by police failure, criminals rob three journalists, cop, petrol pump manager

Monday was another field day for robbers in Karachi where they robbed several journalists, a policeman, a petrol pump manager, a diary shop and a hotel in various parts of the city, with the police failing to make any arrests.

Armed criminals looted cameras, lens and other valuables from journalists near Sagheer Center in Block 16, Federal B Area, within the limits of the Yousuf Plaza police station. 

Police said that as soon as three journalists, belonging to three news and web channels, arrived for media coverage of a ‘daal chawal’ woman vendor and started shooting videos, robbers on two motorcycles arrived and deprived them of cameras, lens, cell phones, cash and other valuables.

Journalist Tanvir, who was among the victims, recorded a video statement narrating the incident. In the video statement, which went viral on social media, he said the robbers snatched valuables from him and others at gunpoint and escaped.

Following the incident, Karachi’s additional inspector general of police, Jawed Alam Odho, took notice of the incident and ordered the DIG West to investigate and arrest the culprits. 

Separately, a police constable, Umair Khan, and his friend, Faisal, were looted at gunpoint in Musharraf Colony in the Mochko police remits.

Police said the robbers also snatched an official weapon from the police constable. A case has been registered while an investigation is underway. In another incident, muggers looted Rs3 million from employees of a fuel station on Sharea Pakistan near Ancholi Society within the limits of the Samanabad police station.

Police said the suspects intercepted and looted cash from fuel station employees as soon as they got close to the branch of a private bank to deposit the cash. They added that the fuel station manager had a total of Rs7 million, but the robbers could take away Rs3 million.

Meanwhile, five robbers -- one armed with a Kalashnikov and the rest with pistols -- looted a diary shop and a hotel in Korangi Industrial Area. The CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media, showing that the outlaws first looted a diary milk shop in Gulzar Colony and then robbed a hotel.

Citizens defend themselves

A day earlier, two suspected robbers were gunned down in the Surjani Town and Memon Goth areas. The two armed men entered the office of the Gulshan-e-Noor Society in Surjani Town with the intention of committing a robbery. They opened fire on a security guard and wounded him. The robbers were attempting to escape when the security guard opened fire on them, injuring one of them as his accomplice managed to flee.

Police and rescue workers took the injured security guard and the robber to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The guard was identified as 32-year-old Kamran, son of Shahid Hussain. Police said the injured robber succumbed to his injuries during treatment. He was identified as Aslam, son of Abdullah. Police said the deceased and his accomplices were involved in more than 100 cases of robberies and street crimes in Surjani Town.

Separately, a man was shot dead when he and his accomplice were trying to break into a house with the intention of committing a robbery in Sammu Goth, which falls in the jurisdiction of the Memon Goth police station.

Police said the accomplice of the deceased managed to escape. Following the incident, police and rescue workers took the dead suspect to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he was identified as 34-year-old Naseer.

Police said the deceased and his accomplice were trying to enter the house of a man named Fazal when the occupant foiled the attempt by shooting at the robbers. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation.