• SIU claims trio was killed by their accomplices during raid on their hideout
• Medical board formed to conduct autopsies, says police surgeon
• Another suspect killed in ‘encounter’ after girl found raped, murdered

KARACHI: Three suspects, who were recently arrested in a case related to a robbery and murder of a doctor in Clifton, were shot dead during crossfire after law enforcers took them to the city’s outskirts to arrest their accomplices.

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) said it took held suspects Suresh, Ram Chand and Aneel to Ahmed Brohi Goth near Toll Plaza on Northern Bypass and raised the hideout of their accomplices.

However, the SIU said, their accomplices opened indiscriminate fire upon seeing the police. In the ensuing exchange of fire, the three suspects in police’s custody sustained critical bullet wounds, while one policeman was also wounded.

The wounded were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where doctors declared three suspects dead on arrival.

The SIU claimed that the suspect in its custody were killed by the firing of their accomplices.

Medical board formed

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the bodies of the three suspects were brought to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities.

She said that, since it was a custodial death case, a five-member medical board comprising doctors and experts would be constituted under the supervision of a judicial magistrate to conduct the autopsies. She said the post-mortem examinations were likely to be conducted on Saturday (tomorrow).

The three suspects had been arrested in connection with the murder of Dr Akash Kumar during a robbery in Clifton on July 13.

The incident had triggered protests by doctors, civil society and members of the Clifton community, where senior officials assured them that justice would be provided.

Later in the day, the investigating officer in the Dr Akash Kumar murder case informed a court that the three held suspects had been killed in an encounter during a raid conducted to apprehend their accomplices within the jurisdiction of the Gulshan-i-Maymar police station.

After hearing the IO, the court directed him to continue the investigation, apprehend the absconding accomplices and submit a compliance report.

Earlier, the trio was remanded in police custody for seven days and the police was to brought them in court on Thursday after expiry of their physical remand.

Two separate FIRs were registered against the suspects at the Defence and Frere police stations under Sections 302 (premediated murder), 397 (robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 23 (i) (a) of the Sindh Arms Act.

Suspect killed in ‘encounter’ after minor girl found raped, murdered In another incident, the body of a six-year-old girl was found from bushes in the Manora area.

Police Surgeon Dr Sumaiyya Syed said that “the victim was subjected to sexual violence”.

The Keamari police said that a case was registered at the Jackson Police Station regarding the abduction and murder of the six-year-old girl.

“Based on the CCTV footage and information gathered during the investigation, police received credible information regarding the whereabouts of a suspect,” a police spokesperson said, adding that when a police team reached the Mubarak Mosque area, the suspect opened fire and tried to escape.

“During the exchange of gunfire, the individual sustained gunshot injuries and later died,” the spokesperson claimed.

The police spokesperson added that an investigation into the abduction and murder of the young girl was “continuing comprehensively in light of CCTV footage, medico-legal findings, forensic evidence, technical analysis and other available evidence”.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026