KARACHI: Police have widened the scope of investigation into a Rs35 million robbery from jewellers, who came from Punjab and used a rickshaw for returning to the railway station but were robbed of the cash in the Nusrat Bhutto underpass on Feb 2, Dawn learnt on Friday.

“Police are investigating the case from all aspects,” a spokesperson for the police’s South zone said.

The closed-circuit television camera recordings of surrounding areas of the crime scene and possible escape routes of the robbers have been obtained by authorities.

“Geofencing of the crime scene, particularly jewellery shops, is also being carried out,” an official said. “A list of the meetings of all jewellers with the robbery victims has also been prepared.”

“Teams of investigation and operation with technical staff are working on the case, which would trace the culprits very soon,” said the spokesperson.

DIG-South Sharjeel Kharal said that the victim jewellers — Mohammed Abu Bakar Siddiq and Mohammed Luqman — did not inform the police, nor did they have any private security guard while carrying such a huge amount of money.

Robbers looted two jewellers from Lahore after they sold 350 tola gold in Karachi

They had told the police that it was their routine ‘practice’ that they bring huge quantity of gold from Lahore for sale at bullion market in Karachi.

He suspected that the robbers had inside information and they were chasing the jewellers.

The robbery victims said they were planning to go back to Lahore on the same day by train when the incident occurred.

As per the statement of the complainant, the jewellers came from Lahore on Wednesday to Karachi at around 4pm along with 350 tolas of gold.

They visited different jewellery shops at Karachi Sarafa bazaar, sold the gold and got Rs35,000,000 cash.

They hired a rickshaw and were on their way to the Cantt Station to take the next train when four robbers riding two motorbikes intercepted the rickshaw in the underpass near Mehran Hotel at around 9.10pm on Wednesday. The robbers suddenly came in front of their rickshaw owing to which it overturned and the jewellers suffered injuries as well.

The armed robbers snatched the briefcase containing the cash and fled along with the money.

The Artillery Maidan police lodged an FIR on the complaint of Abu Bakar Siddiq against four unidentified robbers.

The complainant said that he owned Molvi Yusuf Gold Laboratory in Lahore and added that the robbers were clad in pants and shirts and wore helmets.

The robbers fled towards Saddar after committing the robbery.

The DIG-South held a meeting with president of the jewellers association Haji Haroon and the robbery victims.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2022