June 03, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 2: A bandit was killed and another was injured when his weapon went off accidentally while escaping with Rs200,000 they had snatched from two men in Hirabad in the jurisdiction of Market police station on Monday.

People caught hold of the injured robber and tried to burn him alive but they were persuaded by some saner elements to hand him over to police.

Police said the deceased robber had been identified as Rashid Lodhi. He was killed when the weapon of his accomplice, Naveed Iqbal Gopchani, went off accidentally during their frantic attempt to escape. The bullet made a hole in Gopchani’s hand and then pierced through Iqbal, killing him on the spot.

They were fleeing on a motorcycle after robbing employees of a mobile phone company’s local franchise, Umair, the accountant and his colleague who were going on foot to a bank on the Jail Road to deposit Rs700,000.

A security team led by Rashid Hussain, the operational manager of franchise, was following them. Umair was carrying Rs200,000 while Rs500,000 were with operational manager as a precautionary measure, police said.

The fleeing bandits opened fire on Rashid Hussian but the bullet went past him to hit a minor girl, Hafsa.

During their attempts to flee their motorcycle collided with another motorcycle, causing Gopchani’s weapon to go off, injuring him and killing his accomplice. People caught hold of the injured Gopchani and insisted they would burn him alive but for some saner elements like acting Taluka Nazim Shabbar Chishti.