An antiterrorism court in Karachi on Friday awarded 27 years' imprisonment to a robber over the killing of a female medical student during an exchange of fire with police.

Nimra Baig, a 20-year-old student at the Dow University of Health Sciences, was caught in the cross-fire between a police party and suspected robbers near Anda Mor within the remit of Sir Syed police station on February 22.

While pronouncing its verdict, the court handed down a collective sentence of 27 years to the convict, Muhammad Jumma. He was further ordered to pay a fine of Rs180,000 or serve an additional sentence on default.

According to the prosecution, police constable Adnan and another policeman during a routine patrol spotted two suspected robbers riding a motorcycle, who tried to escape.

When they were chased by the cops, the suspects opened fire at police near Anda Mor. Police retaliated and during the exchange of fire Nimra, a passer-by, was hit by a single bullet that proved fatal. She succumbed to her wounds at a hospital later.

Police had initially claimed that Nimra was killed by bullets fired by the robbers, but the post-mortem examination carried out at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre revealed that the bullet in question had been fired from a “high-velocity weapon”.

A police team tasked with investigating the student's death had also come to the conclusion that she was killed by a bullet fired by the law-enforcement personnel, sources had told Dawn in March.

One of the two robbers, Riaz, was also killed in the firing while his accomplice Muhammad Jumma was arrested in injured condition and tried on multiple charges.

A case against the convict was lodged under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, at the Sir Syed police station.