LAHORE, Dec 26: The city on Tuesday remained gripped by surging crime, especially that committed against property, making citizens virtual hostages to outlaws on rampage.
In the first incident, four people, including a security guard, allegedly looted a Factory Area bank on late Monday night, taking away cash, gold bars, jewellery and prize bonds worth over Rs23.5 million, besides the valuables kept in 21 private lockers.
Quoting a security guard, Mushtaq, police said one of his recently employed colleagues, Sajid, came to the National Bank’s Walton branch around 7pm on Monday to perform duty.
Sajid told Mushtaq that his (Sajid’s) brother and some other guests were coming to see him at the bank so he would be returning with some refreshment, the police said.
“Sajid returned with three people and during conversation he gave me a juice pack which made me unconscious,” Mushtaq told the police.
The accused then remained in the bank till 2am and took away Rs8.4 million in cash and jewellery and gold worth Rs15 million, besides breaking open 21 lockers. The bank administration could not ascertain the worth of valuables in the lockers.
Cantonment division SP Muhammad Ali told Dawn that Sajid, who was transferred from Regal Chowk branch of the bank to Walton four days back, had submitted a fake computerised identity card with the Eagle Security Agency.
A case was registered against the accused under section 381, 109 and 137-J with no arrest.
Meanwhile, two teams constituted by Cantonment investigation SP and CIA SP, respectively, had been dispatched to arrest Sajid.
According to a hand out, the police had taken the security agency’s regional manager Zafar Iqbal and supervisor Matloob Hussian into custody for ignoring rules and regulations and not getting security clearance for the accused guard.
STREET CRIME: Four robbers, riding two bikes, intercepted a textile mill accountant, Iqbal Manzoor, in front of PICIC Commercial Bank in Gulberg and snatched Rs950,000 from him at gunpoint. Iqbal was going to the bank to deposit the cash.
Similarly, two armed motorcyclists intercepted a car rider, Amir, near NESPAK office in B-Block, Model Town, in Faisal Town area, and deprived him of Rs400,000.
In another incident, four armed motorcyclists intercepted Shoaib’s father in Ravi Road area and snatched prize bonds worth Rs400,000 at gunpoint.
Four car riders came to Nadir Khan’s service station, held the employees at gunpoint and took away Rs150,000 at gunpoint in Tohid Park, Gulshan-I-Ravi, while two robbers snatched Rs165,000 from Javed Cheema at Barkat Market in Garden Town. Javed was returning after getting Saudi Rayals converted into Pakistani rupees.
Two gun-totting people intercepted Wajid Shahbaz in front of LDA Plaza in Civil Lines area, and snatched Rs900 and a cell phone worth 12,000 from him. However, Wajid remained unhurt when the robbers opened fire on him.
Two armed motorcyclists intercepted Serwar Road police station sub-inspector Malik Younas in Ichhra area and snatched Rs20,000 and a cell phone from him, while as many robbers deprived Aslam of cash in thousands and a cell phone at gunpoint in the same area.
Two robbers riding a bike came to Imtiaz Khurram’s wife, who was standing at her doorstep, in Ravi Block, Iqbal Town, and took away her purse and jewellery at gunpoint.
Two armed people intercepted Baber and his friend at Saleem Chowk in Ichhra and deprived them of cash and two cell phones, while as many robbers snatched cash in thousands and a cell phone from Major Fiaz in Cavalry Ground area in South Cantonment.
An employee of an Urdu daily, Hussnain, was deprived of Rs500 and a cell phone in Ghalib Market area, while unidentified robbers took away cash and valuables from Muhammad Asif’s shop in Manga Mandi area.
SNATCHED: Three robbers deprived Sarfraz of his car in Chung area, while a motorcycle owned by Shahid was snatched in Qila Gujjar Singh area.