KARACHI: Armed suspects hurled a hand grenade at a shop in Orangi Town, leaving a man injured and spreading fear in the densely-populated neighbourhood on Tuesday, police said.

They added that Nadeem Electronics in Orangi Town near Metro Cinema came under attack in the first half of the day.

“The attack caused a minor injury to a youngster, Arsalan, who was shifted to a hospital for treatment,” said Orangi Town SHO Inspector Yaseen Gujjar.

The shop and some electronic goods on sale were damaged in the attack, he said.

“The attackers have not been identified so far, but we have reasons to suspect extortion demand behind this [crime]. We are collecting evidence to trace and arrest the culprits,” he added.

Later, a police spokesman said that Inspector General of Police A.D. Khowaja took “serious notice” of the incident and ordered SSP (West) to submit an inquiry report within 24 hours.

‘Bandit’ shot dead

A suspected bandit was killed in an exchange of fire with police in Keamari, officials said.

They added that some area residents approached a police patrol with information about the presence of a bandit in Gulshan-i-Sikandar of Keamari Town, who sped away after snatching cash and valuables from passers-by.

“Our police mobile rushed to the site and then spotted the suspect on a motorbike near Ibrahim Masjid,” said Inspector Shaoor Bangash, SHO of the Jackson police station. “He fired shots at the police and then sped away on his motorbike. We chased them and finally trapped them in one of the narrow lanes. He kept firing and after a brief exchange of gunfire, he was hit and killed. We have recovered a pistol, a motorbike, several mobile phones and cash from his possession. The bandit, however, remained unidentified.”

Man kills wife

In Bolton Market, a 25-year-old woman was strangled to death allegedly by her husband in a hotel room.

The police said that the victim, Samina Zahid, was living with her husband in a hotel room for past one month after their families refused to accept their freewill marriage.

Mithadar SHO Ghazala Perveen said the couple had tied the knot of their free will only a month ago and had shifted to a hotel room near Bolton Market.

“Zahid left the room in the morning and then the hotel manager received a call on the landline from him confessing that he had strangled his wife to death,” she said.

“The manager then called the police, who unlocked the room and found the woman’s body. The man, we believe, has left the city after the killing. They were originally residents of Landhi.”

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2017