FAISALABAD: Three alleged robbers were thrashed to death and six people suffered bullet injuries during an exchange of fire at Dhanola stop here on Monday, according to police.

According to witnesses, the robbers were killed by local people who had nabbed them after a chase.

It was reported that the three men had barged into a grocery shop owned by one Kaleem and tried to rob him. The shopkeeper resisted them and raised alarm to seek help.

Responding to Kaleem’s call, a large number of people rushed to the shop and besieged it. The robbers got panicked and opened fire, injuring six people, and tried to escape. But they were chased and captured. People pounced on them, snatched their weapons and gave them a drubbing and, according to witnesses, later shot them dead.

But City Police Officer Sohail Habib Tajik said the robbers had been killed during the exchange of fire with people who were trying to protect themselves.

The injured people -- including Yaqoob, Ghulam Murtaza, Iqbal, Nasir and Zeeshan – were hit by bullets in their legs but were in stable condition in hospital.

Two of the robbers are reported to have been identified as Bilal of Babrianwala in Gujranwala district and Kamran Ahmed of Thetianwala in Jhang district.

Soon after the incident, local people demonstrated against what they called police inaction. They said robbery had become an everyday affair and police had done nothing in response to people’s request to intensify patrolling.

Police, they said, had been immediately informed about the Monday’s robbery attempt but they reached the place after about 45 minutes. One of them said that police claims about its so-called ‘quick response force’ had been fully exposed.

Acting SP of Madina Town, Malik Awais, praised the people’s response and said that they had done a good job.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2015

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