FAISALABAD: A passerby and a bandit were injured in a crossfire between robbers and law enforcers of three police stations outside a house in Sarfraz Colony here on Thursday.

Some eyewitnesses said the policemen of three police stations -- Civil Lines, Ghulam Mohammadabad and Gulberg -- reached the locality timely after a woman informed them through 15 about the presence of three dacoits in her house.

By the time police reached there, the robbers had collected cash, jewellery and other valuables worth hundreds of thousands of rupees from family members.

Passer-by, robber injured in crossfire

As the police challenged the robbers, they opened fire which was returned.

They said a robber was injured with a bullet fired by police. A passerby, who caught in the crossfire, was also hit by a bullet. Identified as Babar, the condition of the passerby, was said to be critical at a hospital.

They said the robbers pushed the injured accomplice to their vehicle and escaped towards Sargodha Road while resorting to aerial firing in the presence of police.

Inefficiency of police was evidently exposed when they took position only on the front side of the house and left open the rear to the ease of robbers who seized the opportunity and fled with the injured accomplice and the booty as well.

Police said the teams had been constituted to trace and arrest the fleeing robbers. They were also ordered to check hospitals to look for the injured robber.

Police said the house owner had still not submitted an application for the registration of a case.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2016