HYDERABAD: Two robbers were gunned down, one was arrested while another reportedly escaped following an encounter with police during a robbery near a private school-cum-house situated in block-D Latifabad Unit-9 within remit of B-section police station on the moon sighting night on Monday.

“Four robbers came and knocked at my door. As I opened the door, they held me and my wife hostage and took away gold jewellery, a laptop, some cash, mobile-phone sets, a repeater gun and other goods,” said Dr Iqbal Hazique, owner of the house.

He said someone from the area had called police who cordoned off the house and challenged robbers. An exchange of fire took place and two robbers were gunned down. He said his licensed repeater had been seized by police.

Area residents caught one robber and thrashed him before handing him over to police. His identity could not be known while his another accomplice fled.

Hyderabad SSP Pir Fareed and Rangers reached the spot.

According to SHO Malik Qamar, the bodies were taken to Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) Hyderabad, They were identified as those of Habibullah Pathan, son of Nawaz Khan, resident of Latifabad Unit-10, and Mir Sabir Ali Talpur, son of Maula Bux, resident of Prince Town Qasimabad.

Bodies were handed over to the heirs after medico-legal formalities.

He said police had recovered looted articles from the dead while gold jewellery worth around Rs175,000 could not be found. Robbers were involved in a number of robberies in Hyderabad and other districts. A case has been lodged against them.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014