KARACHI: Two people, including a policeman, were shot dead and another man was wounded by two armed men travelling in a vehicle in the Defence area early on Sunday morning.

SSP-South Pir Muhammad Shah said that the suspects killed the people for “some joy” under the influence of drugs.

Police and hospital officials said that Constable Khalid Mehmood, 35, and Ramzan, 28, were killed and Saeed Ahmed, 30, was wounded.

Police say the suspects fired at people without any apparent reason

The incident took place on Street 25, Khayaban-i-Bukhari, DHA Phase-VI, near the Misri Shah shrine.

A Darakhshan police officer said that they received information that two suspects travelling in a Vigo had gunned down two persons and injured the third one at around 3.35am.

The officer said that the constable was not wearing his uniform at the time of the incident as he was deputed in civvies to prevent shop robberies/thefts in the area.

Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, said that both the constable and civilian were brought dead to the hospital.

The constable had sustained a bullet wound in the head and the civilian suffered a bullet injury in the chest.

Dr Jamali added that injured Saeed had sustained bullet wounds in the chest, neck and shoulder.

Clifton SP Suhai Aziz said that the suspects were drunk when they carried out firing.

She said the police conducted interviews of some eyewitnesses, obtained details of the vehicle used in the crime, CCTV footage and ballistic material and other evidence.

The police also conducted search of different hospitals for two drunken men and later they found one of them, identified as Nazeer Sardar Qandhari, in the Aga Khan University Hospital in drunken condition, she said.

The wounded man and an eyewitness identified him, the SP said, adding that the held suspect had also killed a person in the Defence area last year.

“Nazeer is already wanted in a murder case registered at the Sahil police station,” she said. “He is a habitual alcoholic and addict of [drug] ice.”

He originally hailed from Qandhar but his family lived in Dalbandin, Balochistan. He told the police that he along with three other friends had attended a party in the area.

No specific motive

SSP-South Pir Muhammad Shah said on Sunday evening that another suspect was also arrested a murder and terrorism case was registered against the two suspects.

DIG-South Sharjeel Kharal told Dawn that the initial probe revealed that apparently there was no specific motive behind the killing.

He said that the constable was on intelligence duty and patrolling on his motorbike and the two other victims were also riding a motorbike on the other side of the lane.

The suspects, who were intoxicated, rashly drove the vehicle and opened indiscriminate firing on them, he added.

After the incident, the suspects stayed at a house in Khayaban-i-Tariq, in Phase-VIII. The police also raided that place and seized some contraband items. Subsequently, someone got Qandhari admitted into the AKUH at around 5am where the police obtained his photo and showed to the witnesses who identified him as the same suspect, the DIG said.

Funeral

Funeral prayer of the slain constable was held at the Garden Police Headquarters. Sindh police chief Syed Kaleem Imam, senior officers, MPA Shaharyar Mahar and others attended it.

The IGP expressed regrets with the heirs and said that the police would bear all educational expenses of his children.

The victim policeman originally hailed from Shikarpur district.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2019