Karachi Police arrest three suspects allegedly involved in murder of young doctor during robbery

Karachi Police said on Wednesday that the force had apprehended three of the five suspects allegedly involved in the robbery and murder of a young doctor in Teen Talwar earlier this week.

Addressing a press conference at his office, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Southern Police Syed Asad Raza confirmed the arrest while accompanied by Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) Karachi DIG Muqaddas Haider.

Dr Akash Kumar, a 28-year-old doctor, was shot dead on Monday after armed robbers intercepted his vehicle near Teen Talwar in Clifton and fled with around Rs 2 million he was carrying after withdrawing money from a private bank. The murder sparked widespread outrage among citizens and the healthcare community.

Following the incident, Raza said he had formed a special investigation team headed by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) South Mahzoor Ali. The team included SSP South (investigation), police station officers and investigators.

“The team obtained CCTV footage from the banks and surrounding areas, traced the escape routes of the suspects and identified them through CCTV analysis,” Raza revealed at the press conference.

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He further said that police spotted a suspicious car at Defense on Tuesday evening and after personnel chased the vehicle, they were able to arrest three suspects linked to the aforementioned robbery and homicide case.

“Police seized three pistols and mobile phones from the suspects next to the car with a fake license plate that they used to escape.”

Raza said cops have registered separate cases under Section 23(i)(A) ​​at the Defense police station.

Presenting the findings of the preliminary investigation, Raza said, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the murder of Dr Kumar.

He said the suspects admitted to conducting reconnaissance on the victim through their accomplice inside the bank from where Dr Kumar withdrew the money.

“The suspect, Ram Chand, identified the victim, noted his appearance and alerted his accomplices that Rs5 million had been withdrawn and was being transported from one bank to another for deposit. Following the tip-off, the attackers committed the armed robbery.”

The DIG said further investigation revealed that the arrested suspects were members of a gang allegedly involved in numerous thefts and street crimes in Karachi.

He revealed that the arrested suspects had arrived in Karachi from other parts of the province and were staying near Kala Board in Malir.

“A total of five suspects were involved in the robbery and efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining two.”

DIG Raza said the police confiscated the weapons, mobile phones and vehicles used in the robbery and homicide case and recovered the stolen Rs 2 million after the arrest of three suspects.

Recalling the events leading up to the robbery, he said the young doctor and his father arrived at a private bank in Clifton Block 7 around 11.40am and withdrew Rs 5 million in cash.

Read: Young doctor killed in Clifton bank robbery

“The money was placed in two envelopes. He placed the envelope containing Rs 3 million on the front seat and the envelope of Rs 2 million in a bag next to him,” the DIG detailed, adding that the family then headed to another bank near Frere Hall.

“Before the victim and his father could get out of the car to enter the other bank, four men intercepted their vehicle on two motorcycles,” he said, adding that one of the suspects dismounted and opened fire on the bank security guard, injuring him, and another suspect approached from the back of the car, opened the window and shot Dr Kumar, leaving him seriously injured.

“The attacker then forcibly snatched the envelope containing 2 million rupees from Dr Kumar before fleeing with his accomplices on the two motorcycles.”

DIG Raza said the injured young doctor was taken to a private hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.

He pointed out that a first information report was registered at Frere police station against the armed robbers under sections 34 (common intention), 302 (premeditated murder) and 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Responding to a question, the DIG refuted allegations of “pressure” to solve the case, citing that the police solved 85 percent of the robbery and homicide cases this year after arresting the named suspects in the cases.

He said this was the first case of robbery and homicide recorded in the Southern District this year, saying surveillance footage played a key role in identifying and arresting the suspects.

A press release issued by the South Zone police spokesperson after the press conference revealed that the suspects had already been named in several criminal cases.

According to police, one of the suspects in the case, attributed as the gunman who killed the doctor, was wanted in five cases registered by the police and the anti-terrorism department.

Likewise, another suspect had already been named in eight criminal cases and two anti-vehicle lifting cell cases.

The spokesperson said police were conducting raids to arrest the two absconding suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar praised the police for the speedy arrest of the suspects, saying the case would serve as a deterrent to criminals.

In a statement, the Home Minister said the murder of Dr Kumar was an “extremely tragic and heartbreaking” incident, adding that the government stood in solidarity with the victim’s family in their grief.