09 November 2004	Tuesday	25 Ramazan 1425

LAHORE, Nov 8: Robbers shot dead a woman at Qaiser Town in Shahdara Town on Monday. However, police investigation wing claimed to have arrested the alleged killer six hours after the incident.

Irshad Ahmad's wife raised an alarm when she saw four intruders in her house. The miscreants had collected cash and valuables worth Rs8,000 by that time, and they escaped. The inmates and neighbours chased the robbers who opened fire. A bullet hit a neighbouring woman, Rasheedan Bibi, who got critical wounds and died on way to hospital. The accused managed their escape.

A police team led by SP Zulfikar Hameed rushed to the spot. Accompanied by locals, they began investigation. One of the residents was found inquiring repeatedly whether the woman who had got bullet had survived. Identified as Afzal, he was taken into custody. He told the police that he was a friend of Irshad, and for that he was interested in the case. He was taken to Irshad, who refused to own him as his friend.

The suspect was quizzed by the police, and he confessed to his involvement in the robbery and murder. The murder weapon and his shoes which he had used in the crime were recovered by the police. The imprints of the shoes did match positively to those taken from the scene of crime. "This arrest is purely based on investigation," one investigator Khalid Masood said.

The body was sent to the city mortuary for autopsy. A case was registered against the arrested accused, and raids were said to be in process for the arrest of his accomplices.

Meanwhile, Muazzam Ali told the police that he was on way to his garment unit when three gunmen held him up in Sattukatla. They snatched Rs438,000 from him and escaped.

Babar Javed drew Rs300,000 from a bank and was on way home when two armed men held him hostage in Faisal Town, and made off with the money.

Riaz said that two gun-toting men stormed into his jewellery shop on Aziz Road in Shadbagh. The robbers held up the jeweller and took away cash and gold ornaments worth around Rs1 million.