KARACHI, June 29: A 30-year-old auto-rickshaw driver died in mysterious circumstances in the early hours of Friday shortly after the tri-wheeler disappeared into the narrow streets of a Liaquatabad locality while dodging a chasing police van, officials said.

They added that the rickshaw carrying four young men, including the driver, was earlier signalled to stop by officials of the Super Market police station deployed at Liaquatabad No 10.

However, the officials said, the police had to take up a chase when the rickshaw driver sped away. “As the police van reached Nadira Hotel in Rizvia Society, they were fired at from the tri-wheeler and an exchange of gunfire ensued,” said DSP Rustam Khattak, the area’s sub-divisional police officer.

He said: “Fortunately, the police remained unhurt, but the rickshaw disappeared into the narrow streets.”

A few minutes later the policemen found the rickshaw driver lying unconscious in one of the streets with serious injuries on his lower torso.

“He was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, but he died during treatment,” said DSP Khattak.

The officer said a medical examination of the man showed that he was not hit by any bullet.

“The victim has been identified as Mohammad Raees, a resident of Orangi Town. According to the doctors, he might have met with an accident or fallen from the moving rickshaw due to excessive speed,” he said.

No weapon was found in his possession or in the street where he was found lying unconscious, said the officer.

Police investigators could not find any criminal record of the rickshaw driver but suspected that he was a member of a gang of robbers.

“We had received complaints against snatchings and other street crimes in which armed robbers used rickshaws and deprived people of their valuables. The van at Liaquatabad No 10 was deputed primarily to keep an eye on such activities,” the DSP said.