KARACHI, April 1: Gold ornaments and cash worth over Rs6 million were looted from different shops on Tuesday in a looting spree in Korangi by a gang of heavily armed bandits, witnesses and police said.
Shopkeepers at the Al-Mustafa Market in Korangi Industrial Area No 6 said that at least 12 robbers, armed with rifles and pistols, came there on motorbikes at around 1.15pm. They said the gangsters split into three teams, one of them stood guard and the other two looted at least two jewellery shops, three garments shops and a general store.
The area SHO, Inspector Mukhtar Ahmed, told Dawn that the bandits took away 1,200 grams of gold from A-1 Jewellers and 15,00 grams of gold from Rukhsar Jewellers. “They also looted cash and mobile phones from three garments shops and a general store,” he added.
Witnesses said the shopkeepers pulled down their shutters in protest after the looting spree that lasted 10 to 15 minutes. They said the Al-Mustafa Market was situated some yards away from a building where personnel of a law-enforcement agency were lodged.
The witnesses said dacoits were young, most of them in their mid twenties. “Some of them were clad in shalwar-qamees and the others were in shirts and trousers.”
Mohammed Owais, a victim shopkeeper, told Dawn that the dacoits looted Rs15,000 from Zamzama Garments, Rs18,000 from Shafi Garments and Rs21,000 from the garment shop of Mohammed Ijaz.
Personal enmity claims life
Maripur police said a 40-year-old man was shot dead allegedly over a personal enmity near Hanifa Masjid. They said that the suspect was arrested with the pistol he had used in the offence.
The police said victim Javed Iqbal Masih was having a haircut at Nawaz Hair Dresser at around 9.45am when Rifaqat Masih shot him dead.
The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital where the man was pronounced dead on arrival. Hospital sources said the victim was shot from a pointblank range as the bullet pierced through his chest.
The police said the suspect surrendered to the police after the incident. They quoted the suspect as saying that he killed the victim because he suspected him of being behind the kidnapping of his wife.
The Station Investigation Officer of Maripur police, Inspector Chaudhry Afzal, told Dawn that the suspect had also stabbed and wounded the victim a year ago in Lahore.
The police have registered a murder case against Rifaqat Masih on the complaint of the victim’s brother, Dickson Francis.
Labourer shot dead
A 32-year-old man was shot dead in Baldia Town early morning. The police said Mohammed Yasin, resident of Madina Colony, was shot and killed when he was going to the mosque to offer Fajr prayers.
The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital where sources said the man was shot to his head a single bullet that went through his skull.
The police registered a murder case against unknown culprit or culprits on the complaint of the victim’s father, Abdul Ghafoor.
Sub-inspector Mohammed Asghar of the Baldia police told Dawn that the family, who hailed from the NWFP, said that they had no enmity with any one.
Targeted killing
A 35-year-old man was shot dead by two attackers in Landhi.
Korangi Industrial Area police said Naeem Ahmed, married with three minor children, was targeted at Usman Estate Agency of his brother-in-law at 36-B area at around 8:20pm.
The area SHO, Inspector Mukhtar Ahmed, told Dawn that the victim was sitting with his brother-in-law when two motorcyclists came and the pillion rider, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle (Kalashnikov), opened fire on him. “The target was Naeem as the attacker did not attack his brother-in-law,” he added.
The police officer said the victim was a lineman with the Pakistan Telecommunication Ltd (PTCL) and he used to work part time with the husband of his sister. “According to family, the victim did not belong to any political party or group,” he added.The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where sources said the victim received five to six bullets.
Man shot dead
A 35-year-old man was shot dead near his residence in Bhitai Abad.
Sachal police said Abid Hussain Phulpoto was sitting outside his house at Gali No 22 when two motorcyclists opened fire on him.
They said the man died instantly and his body was shifted to the JPMC for autopsy.
The police said the victim, hailing from Khairpur, had been living here with his friend, Saleem Qureshi, for the past few months.
They said the incident seemed to be motivated by a personal enmity.
Woman’s decomposed body found
The decomposed body of a woman was found at a house in Moch Koh.
The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital where sources said it was at least one month old.
The police said the owner of the house hailed from the NWFP and he was reported to have been in his hometown for the past many days.
The police said they were trying to ascertain the identity of the woman.
Car theft
A Suzuki Bolan of a retired colonel was stolen from the parking-lot of the Quaid-i-Azam International airport.
Col Akram Abbasi called Dawn to say that he had parked his Suzuki Bolan (CS-1820) in the parking-lot at around 6.30am and he found it missing when he returned to the lot after seeing off his daughter after a while.
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