Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a young doctor who was shot dead during a robbery near Teen Talwar in Karachi’s Clifton area, according to a press release issued by South Zone police on Wednesday.

Dr Akash Kumar, a doctor at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), was killed on Monday after robbers intercepted his vehicle near Teen Talwar and escaped with around Rs2 million that he was carrying after withdrawing cash from a private bank.

In the press release issued on Wednesday, police provided details of the events leading up to the robbery. They said that Dr Akash arrived at a bank on Monday to withdraw Rs5m, of which he kept Rs2m and Rs3m in separate white envelopes. It said that the vehicle with Dr Akash, his father and the cash envelopes was intercepted by four robbers on two motorcycles when they arrived at their location, which was a second bank.

It said that one of the suspects opened the car door and fired at Dr Akash, who then died after being shifted to the hospital. It said that a case of the incident was subsequently registered on the complaint of the suspect’s father under sections 34, 397 and 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The police said that on Tuesday night, a suspicious car was seen in Defence area. It said that officials pursued them and arrested three suspects, adding that mobile phones and three pistols were also seized, for which a case was registered.

It added that a white Suzuki Alto allegedly used by the suspects to flee, bearing fake registration plates, was also seized.

According to the press release, the suspects told investigators during initial interrogation that they were involved in the doctor’s killing. They said that they had monitored the victim before the robbery and had an accomplice inside the first bank, who alerted them after Dr Akash withdrew the cash.

Police said the insider informed the gang about the victim’s appearance and the amount withdrawn, enabling them to intercept the vehicle as it headed to the second bank.

Police said the arrested suspects belonged to a gang involved in robberies and street crimes across Karachi and had criminal records, adding that raids were under way to arrest their remaining accomplices.

The killing had sparked widespread outrage within the medical community, with doctors staging protests at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where Dr Akash served as a house officer.

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) had also condemned the killing, describing it as evidence of the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.