KARACHI, May 14: A young man, who was to get married on Saturday, was found shot dead in the early hours of the day in Old Haji Camp with his friend, who met the same fate in a different area hours after they were kidnapped in Lyari, allegedly by one of the gangs operating in the neighbourhood, for the victims' suspected role as 'police informers', officials said.

They said one of the victims, Arshad alias Bhooma, in his mid-20s, was busy in his pre-marriage celebrations at his elder sister's home in the New Kalri area of Lyari with family members and friends when gunmen stormed into the function and picked him up with his friend, Azeem Khan.

A few minutes after sunrise, the area police said, Arshad was found shot dead in Old Haji Camp near Timber Market within the remit of the Napier police station.

Half an hour later his friend Azeem's body was found near KMC Flats in Pak Colony with that of another unknown young man.

“We found two bodies stuffed in a gunny bag early in the morning,” said DSP Qaiser Ali Shah, the area's supervisory police officer (SPO).

“Bearing bullet wounds and torture marks, both bodies were shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where one of them was identified as Azeem as the tragic story started to unfold. The other victim is still unidentified.”

The Pak Colony police later communicated with their counterparts in the Napier police station, who had found Arshad's body.

The joint inquiry led to the fact that both were kidnapped at the home of Arshad's elder sister, where they with other friends were celebrating and preparing for his Saturday marriage.

“Both victims were the residents of Chanesar Goth near Mehmoodabad. Since Arshad's marriage was taking place at his sister's home, they were in the New Kalri area of Lyari,” said Inspector Chaudary Shahid, the Napier police station SHO.

The findings of investigators of two police stations suggested that the victims were suspected of spying for police that led to a Rangers raid on a Chanesar Goth hideout a few days ago, in which two suspected drug dealers were killed and several others arrested.

“According to initial interaction with the family of Azeem, after the kidnapping of both victims the family had been in constant contact with the kidnappers, who initially demanded half a million rupees for their release. However, they refused to answer their calls after a few hours,” said DSP Shah of Pak Colony.

He said a paternal uncle of Azeem's also told the investigators about the gang involved in the incident. The victims had been under a persistent threat for their alleged role in the Chanesar Goth raid, and for the same reasons they had shifted from their residences in the locality, he added.

Two suspects were killed in a 'shootout' with Rangers during a search operation in a Mehmoodabad area on May 1.

According to the Sindh Rangers, both suspects were wanted for several heinous crimes. The law-enforcement officials also claimed to have arrested 13 suspects during the search operation carried out in Chanesar Goth.

Despite gathering basic information about the suspected people behind the three murders, the police said they had not yet registered the FIRs as the families of the victims were afraid to pursue the case.

“They have not been responding to our requests after an initial contact. We would definitely wait for a few more hours before moving on our own,” said DSP Shah, the SPO of Pak Colony. Similar views were expressed by Inspector Shahid, the SHO of the Napier police station, which found Arshad's body.

“First they said they were too shocked to say anything on the issue and were also busy in funeral rites. Now after the formalities had been completed, none of the family members is coming forward to have the cases registered,” he added.

Tension gripped parts of Lyari later in the day and unidentified persons fired into the air that that forced shopkeepers to pull down their shutters.

A heavy contingent of the police and the Rangers was seen patrolling in the area and it appears that they were carrying out a search operation in the neighborhood.

However, the Rangers remained tightlipped over the issue.