March 12, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1429

KARACHI, March 11: Two suspected bandits were killed on Tuesday in a shootout with police in Kharadar and in another incident in Orangi Town two suspects were severely roughed up by area people before they were arrested.

Two dacoits riding a motorcycle intercepted an auto-rickshaw near Kharadar General Hospital and held its driver and the passenger hostage at gunpoint.

The robbers tried to snatch the mobile phone from the passenger who put up some resistance. The Kharadar police said that a police party, comprising an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a constable, was present behind a vehicle near the scene of crime.

They immediately approached the scuffling robbers and the man in the rickshaw.

The robbers opened fire on the police personnel who also shot back killing the two bandits on the spot.

Area DSP, Ali Asghar Shah, told Dawn that the passenger was identified as a goldsmith who was on his way from Sarrafa Bazaar.

He said that the police also seized three cellular phones including the one that the robbers had snatched from the goldsmith, two TT pistols and a motorcycle.

“The bike the robbers were riding had been snatched at gunpoint on Feb 28 in Risala police area,” he added.

Later, the bodies were shifted to the Civil Hospital where the suspects were identified as Qasim, 30, and Arshad, 18, both residents of Naya Abad, Lyari.

Meanwhile, two suspected robbers were severely beaten up by people in Orangi Town.

Area people said that two dacoits were on the run after barging into the house of Qamaruddin near Akbar Chowk.

They said the fleeing dacoits were caught by the people and they gave them a severe thrashing.

Both the suspects were severely wounded and fell unconscious before the police reached the spot.

Later, the injured suspects were shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where they remained unidentified as they did not regain consciousness till late in the night.

Besides, Gulshan-i-Iqbal police arrested five suspects who were involved in street crimes particularly robbing women of their personal belongings and jewellery.

The suspects were identified as Zeeshan, Matloob, Shabbir, Khawer and Zahid Iqbal.

The police also seized five TT pistols and five cellular phones from the suspects.