ISLAMABAD: An alleged robber was killed and a suspect in police custody was injured in an encounter with criminals late on Monday night, police said.

According to the official twitter account of the capital police, armed men looted cash from a citizen at Sanam Chowk in Khanna on Monday. After being alerted, a patrolling team spotted two suspects and chased them. However, the suspects opened fire on the police, injuring a constable, and escaped.

A search was then conducted during which the robbers came face to face with the police and opened fire on them, the spokesman added.

The police retaliated and as a result one of the suspected robbers was killed and his accomplice injured, the spokesman said. The injured was arrested and the looted cash along with weapons and a motorcycle were recovered.

Over the two encounters, two separate FIRs were registered with Khanna police station.

According to one of the FIRs, the Khanna police interrogated the arrested suspect identified as Mohammad Asif.

During the interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in the robbery at Sanam Chowk along with Mohammad Pervaiz. He also confessed to firing at the police in which the constable was injured, the FIR said. The suspect disclosed that Pervaiz and his accomplices were hiding in a slum in Margalla Town.

On the disclosure, a raiding team was constituted which reached the slum along with Asif at around 10:30pm, the FIR said. It said all of a sudden, unidentified persons started firing at the police from behind bushes.

The police took cover and resorted to firing in the air to frighten the suspects. During the shootout, Asif suffered a bullet injury to his leg fired by the gunmen, the FIR said.

“After weapons of the gunmen went silent, a search was conducted during which the body of one of the gunmen was recovered.”

A pistol, bag and motorcycle were recovered near the body, the FIR said, adding the bag contained Rs471,370.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2022