KARACHI, April 10: Bandits shot dead a shopkeeper at the electronics market in Saddar on Wednesday, which led to closure of the market and protest against police and the city government for their failure to provide security to shopkeepers.

Police said two bandits attempted to snatch cash from a man at the electronics market. Shopkeepers and the man put up resistance to the bandits, and during the scuffle, the bandits opened fire and tried to escape. People caught a bandit, but his accomplice escaped. A shopkeeper, Javed Abdul Majeed, aged 42, was hit by a bullet. He died on the spot. The body was sent to a hospital for autopsy. Javed was resident of Adamjee Nagar, Bahadurabad.

Witnesses said two bandits attempted to snatch a bag, containing cash, from a man, who came to a shop at the electronics market near Star Cinema. The man put up resistance to the bandits, and shopkeepers also tried to catch hold of the bandits. During the scuffle, the bandits attempted to escape. One of the bandits opened fire and a bullet hit a shopkeeper, who was later identified as Javed Abdul Majeed. The other bandit was caught by shopkeepers who gave him a severe beating.

Police and the rangers reached the spot to control the situation. A senior police officer said police faced difficulty in taking the bandit in their custody from the enraged people.

People also attacked policemen when they tried to arrest the bandit, who was being beaten by enraged shopkeepers. A police constable, Mohammed Akbar, suffered fractures to his legs in the disturbances. Another constable, James, was also injured when he was hit by a stone on the head. DSP Ejaz Hashmi and TPO Dr Tariq Khokhar, who reached the spot, also faced problems in trying to cool down the agitated shopkeepers.

A statement issued by a spokesman for the Karachi Electronics Dealers Association (KEDA) said an employee of Al-Jadeed Electronics, situated on Abdullah Haroon Road, drew Rs100,000 from a bank, and handed the cash to the shopowner, Majeed, in his shop. The statement claimed that three bandits came to the shop and snatched the cash from Majeed on which he and his son Javed put up resistance to the bandits. Javed caught hold of one of the bandits, but his two accomplices shot Javed in the back and escaped.

Despite having been seriously wounded, Javed did not lose his grip on the bandit and other shopkeepers caught the bandit. Javed later died on way to hospital.

Agitated shopkeepers beat up the bandit and refused to hand him over to police. They also burnt old tyres due to which traffic stopped. At the intervention of Mohammed Irfan, the President of KEDA, people handed the bandit over to police.

Mr Irfan met the DIG Karachi and lodged a protest against the incident. He gave an ultimatum to the DIG that if the absconding bandits were not arrested in 24 hours, it would become difficult to guarantee peace in the city markets, the statement concluded.

News of Javed’s killing spread in no time and shopkeepers pulled their shutters down. They came out in the streets in groups and burnt old tyres and wooden boxes.

Shops and markets were also closed in parts of Saddar, Burnes Road and M. A. Jinnah Road. Burning of old tyres and other things at Regal Chowk, Aga Khan III Road near Star Cinema, at the intersection of Zaibunnisa Street and Aga Khan III Road and Abdullah Haroon Road caused traffic jams on the roads leading to Saddar, including M. A. Jinnah Road, Shahrah-i-Iraq and Abdullah Haroon Road.

Police and rangers were deployed in the troubled area. The traffic police banned entry of traffic by closing the roads leading to Saddar from M. A. Jinnah Road causing traffic jams on the main thoroughfare, Garden Road and Soldier Bazaar. Traffic on these roads moved at a snail’s pace for more than two hours.

Traffic jams were also witnessed on Burnes Road, Shahrah-i-Iraq and Abdullah Haroon Road near Metropole Hotel, from where police diverted the traffic to alternative routes as the area around the Saddar electronics market was disturbed.

The situation was brought under control after three hours by law-enforcement agencies. Later, traffic resumed in the affected area. However, the market remained closed throughout the day and personnel of law-enforcement agencies kept patrolling the area.

The arrested bandit, identified as Shahid, told DSP Hashmi during preliminary interrogation that Ashiq asked him by phone in the morning to see him at Awami Markaz. When he reached Awami Markaz, Rehan was also there with Ashiq. Later, they all three went to M. A. Jinnah Road, and there they saw a man coming from a bank and proceeding to the electronics market. He said Ashiq and he entered the market following the man, while Rehan stayed outside. As they tried to snatch the bag containing the cash, shopkeepers put up resistance to them, which led to a scuffle. Shahid said his pistol, which Ashiq had given him, was snatched by people and someone caught hold of him, the man’s grip was so strong that he failed to break free of his hold. Then people began beating him and someone shot him in the leg.

Shahid told police that he had earlier been arrested in 1993, and 1994 and later released on bail. He was resident of Korangi.

Police said Shahid had been dismissed from police service in 1992, and he was a member of a gang of bandits. Police were collecting the list of cases registered against Shahid.