LAHORE: Three robbers were killed while attempting to loot jewellery at a shop in Baghbanpura, police said on Saturday.

Four armed men forced their entry into a jewellery shop at Sirajpura market but the owners and employees opened fire on them which resulted in an exchange of fire. Three of the robbers were killed while two jewellers were injured.

Police took the bodies into their custody and shifted them to the morgue for autopsy after registering a robbery case.

Police said jewellers Shoaib and Waqas were shifted to the Mayo Hospital where Shoaib’s condition was stated to be critical.

Baghbanpura SHO Nasrullah said two of the robbers were identified as Ramzan of Lyari and Iftikhar of Sahiwal. Efforts were being made to identify others, he said, adding that police seized three pistols from the shop.

DSP Mian Muhammad Khalid told Dawn that a jeweller’s son, Hamza, alerted the market traders after seeing four armed men standing in front of their shop. He said when the robbers tried to enter the shop, the owner resisted and in an exchange of fire, three armed men were killed and the fourth managed to escape.

A number of people gathered there and protested against the robbery and street crime incidents in their area.

SUICIDE BID: Police claimed to have foiled a dacoity bid wherein the suspect allegedly killed himself with his own pistol in Jubilee Town on Saturday.

According to a police spokesperson, two armed men intercepted a motorcyclist, shot at and injured him on resistance.

Chuhng police reached the spot and managed to arrest one of the suspects while the other fled and took refuge in an under-construction building nearby.

Police besieged the building with the help of some locals and arrested the second suspect also. In the meanwhile, the other suspect allegedly shot himself dead with his own pistol, claimed the spokesperson.

However, some witnesses said the suspect attempted to escape from police custody and was shot dead by one of the policemen.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2015

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