LAHORE, June 18: Robbers shot dead a currency dealer and injured his fellow during a robbery on Bund Road in Nawankot police limits and plundered cash and valuables worth millions in two major strikes in the city on Tuesday.
Two robbers killed currency dealer Muhammad Saleem and wounded his colleague Ahsaan with a gunshot near Bakar Mandi around 9:15pm.
Iqbal Town SP (Operations) Syed Tauseef Haider told Dawn that Saleem and Ahsaan of Pircahan Money Exchange, both residents of Multan, got Pakistani currency and prize bonds all worth over Rs12 million against US dollars, Saudi Riyals and prize bonds from a money changer of Qila Gujar Singh and boarded a rickshaw to reach Rehbar Travels to return Multan.
He said as they alighted from the rickshaw, two gun-totting people, riding a car, approached them and one of them opened fire on them.
Quoting injured Ahsaan, the SP said the suspects first opened fire on the victims and then snatched uncounted cash worth millions and fled.
He said police seized Rs4 million and prize bonds worth Rs8 million lying in special belts, adding the amount of cash taken away by the suspects was not immediately known.
Rescue 1122 shifted the injured to Mayo Hospital where Saleem died. Rescuers carried their cash belts and handed them over to police.
A police source confided to this reporter that two Rescue 1122 emergency responders were taken into custody for allegedly concealing prize bonds worth Rs8 million from police. He said on the indication of the injured victim, police took the suspects into custody and recovered bonds which they concealed in a hidden portion of the ambulance.
Three robbers barged into the house of jeweller Abdul Qayyum in City Raiwind police precincts, held all family members at gunpoint and took away cash and jewellery worth Rs1.1 million.
PROTEST: A number of people blocked Saggian Bridge for traffic at least for four hours on Tuesday to protest the killing of a youth in an alleged police shootout in Nawab Town area two days ago.
The family of 20-year-old Nazar Husain of Riaz Colony alleged that police killed Nazar after taking him into custody when he was returning home along with his friends on June 17.
They appealed to the chief minister to punish the responsible officials.
However, a police officer claimed that the deceased was a robber who committed four robbery incidents on the day of encounter as he and his two accomplices faced police on road after fourth hit.
He said the deceased was wanted in 18 robbery cases.
The officer said scores of people lodged protest and blocked road after police handed over the body to the family.
The angry mob dispersed after senior police officers rushed to the spot and assured justice.