HYDERABAD, April 12: Police picked up a security guard of a local franchise of a cellular phone company on Saturday on suspicions he might be involved in a late night robbery in the franchise in which two robbers shot dead three people including a policeman.

“The guard, Qasim, has been picked up after his statement that he had gone to pass urine during the period when the robber struck at the shop raised suspicions,” said a police source close to the case.

The guard had given his weapon and cap to Ayub Palari, who also worked at the franchise and was killed in the robbery. “Interestingly, his repeater was unloaded and he is constantly changing his statement about why he had handed over an unloaded weapon,” said the source.

The bandits unarmed Palari and handed the repeater to the brother of the franchise’s owner Aijaz Kalhoro because it was not loaded at that time, added the source.

They took away four mobile phones and Rs70,000 cash but failed to notice Rs200,000, lying in Kalhoro car, who had just arrived from Thatta.

The shopkeepers in the limits of Makki Shah police station where the incident took place observed strike in parts of Cantonment area in protest against the killings.

The owners of mobile phone connection companies’ franchises in the city and shopkeepers of Cantonment area staged a demonstration outside the press club, demanding security and protection.

Police have registered a case against unidentified persons on the compliant of Asif Kalhoro, the brother of Aijaz Kalhoro, who was killed by robbers.

The funeral prayer of Mevo Khan, guard of DSP traffic was offered in police line headquarters. His body has been sent to Larkana while that of Palari to Tando Qaiser.

Hyderabad DPO Imran Shaukat announced Rs500,000 for the person who would provide any clue to the culprits. The award money would be paid from the resources of district police.