LAHORE: Robbers shot dead a security guard and another man and looted cash and valuables worth Rs1.4 million in five strikes in the provincial capital on Sunday, police said.

Three robbers intercepted the van of a renowned confectionery company near Omer Chowk and attempted to take hostage a security guard sitting in the vehicle. The guard offered resistance as a result of which the assailants fired at him and fled after looting hundreds of thousands of rupees in cash. The victim, identified as Abdur Razzaque, succumbed to his wounds in a hospital.

In another incident, a robber posing as a security guard entered Malik Poultry Farm near Neelya School and fired at and injured owner Malik Afzaal, who was counting cash along with his employee Attique.

As Attique intervened, the suspect opened fire again on Afzaal, looted cash and fled from the scene. Police arrived on an emergency call and pronounced the victim dead on the spot. A police official said detailed investigation would establish exactly what happened. Quoting Attique, he said the suspect opened fire on Afzaal who did not offer resistance.

Three robbers stormed into the house of Ashraf Shahzad in LARECHS Colony in Garhi Shahu and escaped after looting cash and valuables worth Rs500,000. Two robbers barged into the house of Kawsih Javaid in Hakim Town and took away cash and valuables worth Rs300,000. Two robbers entered the house of Qari Nawaz in Punjab Housing Society and took away cash and valuables worth Rs350,000.

ACCIDENT: A two-year-old girl and her mother were killed and two other family members injured after a motorcycle they were riding was hit by a truck on Multan Road in Chuhng.

Police said Ayesha and her daughter Beenish succumbed to their wounds in a hospital, while two others, including Khalid, were admitted to Jinnah Hospital. Witnesses managed to capture the truck driver and handed him over to the police.

SUICIDE: A youth allegedly committed suicide over domestic issues in Shahdara.

Police said 18-year-old Harris was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room by his family who alerted police. Police shifted the body for autopsy and began investigation.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2014