LAHORE - Gunmen barged into two leading commercial banks in the Saddar Police limits on Thursday and looted Rs9.5 million.
In the first strike, Allied Bank Chief Security Guard Najabat Khan along with his accomplices stormed into the bank and got away with Rs5.5 million, said an eyewitness. “Najabat Khan forced the on duty guards to put off their uniform, which he gave to his accomplices, and tied them up,” he said, adding that the outlaws also took away CCTV footage.
The second raid took place after 15 minutes when four armed ‘Pashtuns’, clad in police uniform, robbed the UBL branch of Rs 4 million cash. They also snatched three mobile phones from Bank Manager Muhammad Asif.
According to the Saddar police, one of the dacoits was arrested from Thokar Niaz Baig, a hunt for the others was on. ASP Fida Hussain told reporters that the robbery bids could have been foiled if the bank security guards had showed gallantry.
The back-to-back robberies drew ire among residents, traders and banks managers who staged a demonstration against police for its failure to curb such crimes. They took a swipe at police, saying that the cops were involved in bank robberies. They demanded the Punjab chief minister take notice.
Sanitary worker dies: A 20-year-old employee of Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) died while his colleague was found fainted owing to inhaling poisonous gas during sanitation of manhole in Harbanspura police area on Thursday.
The deceased identified as Danish Masih of Lakhudeir. Police investigators said Danish along with his colleague George Masih entered the manhole near Wara Stand but they were found unconscious after half an hour. Locals shifted them to a nearby hospital where Danish breathed his last while the condition of his colleague was told critical till filing of this report.
The body was handed over to the bereaved family members after police completed necessary medico-legal formalities.
Dengue campaign: SP Mujahid Squad has directed his police teams to launch anti-dengue derive at residences of police officers located at Qurban Police Lines.
Trained police teams have also been asked to impart practical training and also to sensitize the officers and jawans of the force about the menace of dengue and to adopt precautionary measures to prevent the dengue epidemic.