KASUR: A robbery suspect who was handed over to police, along with his accomplice, by villagers after being injured by a mob at Arzanipur village, in the limits of Allahabad police station, allegedly succumbed to his injuries at hospital on Thursday night.

Local sources allege that the suspect died from torture in custody after he was handed over to police.

However, the police denied the allegation, saying they were handed over two suspects who were injured in exchange of fire with locals; one of them died while the other was admitted to Chunian Rural Health Center (RHC). Their third accomplice had escaped after the robbery bid, they added.

According to police, three unidentified robbers barged into a shop at Arzanipur village, injured the shopkeeper Abdul Rashed on resistance and escaped with Rs250,000 cash on Thursday.

Police denies torture allegation

Later, as police claimed, villagers chased the robbers and had an exchange of fire with them.

The police further claimed that they later recovered two injured suspects, who were identified as Habibur Rehman and Zain. Both were hospitalised, but Rehman later died.

Police also claimed that the suspects were injured in the firing by their own accomplices during exchange of fire with the villagers, none of whom was hurt in the episode.

The police, however, denied that the deceased robber had no bullet injuries when he was handed over to them.

The police could not explain some video clips surfacing on social media showing the two suspects, surrounded by a mob, walking with minor injuries, before they were handed over to police.

The police lodged a criminal case against the fleeing suspect and started investigation into the matter.

SUSPECT INJURED: Mustafabad police claimed to have arrested an injured robbery suspect following an “encounter” near Dafto village.

Police claimed that three unidentified robbers deprived a man of his bike and cash at gunpoint and escaped.

Later, the police set up a picket near the village and signaled three men riding a bike.

The police claimed that the motorcyclists, instead of stopping, opened indiscriminate firing on them, which was retaliated.

After the guns went silent, police found a suspect lying injured at the scene, while his two accomplices managed to escape. The police also claimed that the arrested suspect was injured in the firing by his own accomplices during the “encounter”.

The police shifted the injured to hospital for medical treatment and started looking into the matter.

A few days back, the police claimed to have ecovered bodies of two robbery suspects who had allegedly escaped from their custody on Jagowala Road, in the limits ofSarai Mughal police station. The police claimed they apparently died in a road accident.

BOOKED: Mustafabad police booked three employees of a private company allegedly for staging a robbery drama in an attempt to steal Rs1.2 million from their office.

According to police, three suspects, Danish, Ramzan and Salman, employees of a private company, called helpline 15, claiming that robbers took away Rs1.2m from their office.

However, on interrogation it transpired that the suspects were lying and they themselves had stolen the amount. The police arrested the suspects and recovered the amount from them.Police registered a criminal case against the suspects on the complaint of the company’s admin officer Muhammad Ashiq.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2025