LAHORE, July 16: A 45-year-old property dealer, who had staged a drama that robbers killed his wife and injured him before taking away his car and some cash in Nawab Town area on late Sunday, turned out to be the mastermind of the incident.

Police inquiries revealed that Manzoor Shaheen, his wife Farzana and two sisters came out of a food outlet near Shaukat Khanum Hospital and sat in the car.

In the meantime, two armed men approached them and looted cash and valuables. Upon meeting resistance, robbers shot Farzana in the head, injured Manzoor with butt of guns and took away Rs200,000 in cash and the car. The injured were admitted to Jinnah Hospital where Farzana, mother of eight, succumbed to her wounds.

Saddar SP (Operations) Liaquat Ali Malik said the police became suspicious when they involved family members in investigation.

He said police quizzed Manzoor from different aspects who confessed that he had involved outsiders in the murder plan of his wife.

He said Manzoor, who is in police custody, was against his ninth child after his wife conceived which led to quarrels between the two.

The SP said the couple had exchanged heated arguments two days ago after which Manzoor planned to kill his second wife.

He said Farzana had also contracted second marriage with Manzoor and had children from her first husband. The police handed over the body to the family after an autopsy.

The police have registered a murder case against Manzoor and his unidentified accomplices on the complaint of Farzana’s father Munir Hussain of Swabi.