LAHORE: The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) police claimed on Saturday to have arrested 10 members of a robbers’ gang, including the three involved in a daylight robbery at a traffic signal in Faisal Town.

In November 2016, four robbers riding motorcycles stopped a family going in a car at Mariyan Stop traffic signal and looted cash, jewellery and valuables worth Rs400,000 and fled the scene.

A mobile footage of the incident went viral on social media and raised a question mark over police performance.

Addressing a press conference at his office, CIA SP Tariq Mastoi said they had arrested 10 members of robbers’ gang involved in looting citizens at different roads and streets of the city.

The arrested suspects were identified as ringleader Tahir Imran alias Mitho, Ali Raza, Arslan alias Shani, Asaam alias Honey, Malik Ehsan, Ali Hassan, Zahid Rasool, Adnan alias Dani, Ali Raza Butt and Adnan.

He said three out of the four robbers involved in looting a family in broad daylight at Maryan traffic signal were also arrested. The suspects were identified as Ali Hassan, Tahir Imran and Arslan while their fourth accomplice Shahrukh fled to Abu Dhabi.

He said a CIA police team also arrested Shahrukh in Abu Dhabi and were completing the process to be extradited to Pakistan.

He said the gang members were proclaimed offenders and involved in 31 cases registered against them in different areas of the city. He said they also recovered cash, jewellery and valuables worth Rs2.2 million and four pistols with bullets from their possession.

Commenting on the killing of a Punjab University retired professor Tahira Parveen Malik, Mr Mastoi said that all the three suspects identified as Sajjad Ali, Hammad Aslam and Sunil Masih were arrested for their involvement in the murder.

He said main accused Sajjad Ali, a university employee, confessed to having killed the retired professor for offering resistance during robbery.

He said the suspect and his accomplices planned to rob the professor, adding the main accused first killed the professor with a sharp-edged weapon and later took away her mobile phone and 100 dollars.

He said the suspects had also planned to take away other belongings of the professor during off hours but they could not do so.

Replying to a query, the SP said the retired professor was killed on resistance during robbery and she was not targeted for her belief.

About the investigation in the murder case of PPP leader Babar Sohail Butt, he said they had arrested main accused Atif Jatt, adding that they would also investigate MNA Sohail Shoukat Butt who was nominated in the case.

Meanwhile, City Division SP (Investigation) Syed Karar Husain in a press conference at his office claimed to have arrested six members of different robbers’ gangs.

He said the suspects were involved in looting a petrol pump at Badami Bagh and bike snatching in different areas of the city. They were identified as Muhammad Bilal, Muhammad Arshad, Haroon alias Toni, Tayyab Amin, Qaisar alias Qaisri and Ali Hayyat.

He said police also recovered 13 motorbikes, 10 mobile phones, one rickshaw, cash and other valuables from their possession.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2017