Mob sets 2 thieves on fire in Karachi

KARACHI - Angry mob set on fire two robbers on Saturday in the jurisdiction of Sharah-e-Noor Jahan consequently after being inspired from another action which happened on Wednesday in which three robbers were burnt to death by the crowd. The mob not only burnt two robbers but tried to burn an ASI of the Muhaffiz force on Saturday.

One of the robbers died and another is in critical condition, police said.

On Wednesday, three robbers were burnt at Ranchore Lane within the limits of Eidgah police station. This was the first attempt when citizens showed their power by creating on-spot justice mania. On Saturday around 2.10 pm two robbers, aged 20, looted passengers of a bus near Remedial Hospital, Block-I, North Nazimabad, Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi. Three policemen, named ASI Khalid Rafiq, police constable Muhammad Altaf and Constable Naveed of special unit of North Nazimabad Town, were on routine motorcycle patrolling when they heard passengers shouting. The robbers surrendered to the police along with their TT pistols.

Meanwhile, people suddenly attacked the robbers when they saw that they were vulnerable. They started beating them. ASI Rafiq, who was in plain clothes, and the other two policemen tried their best to stop the people, but the mob started beating them too. The police immediately informed their officials.

Heavy contingents of police reached the scene. But the people refused to hand over the robbers to the police, as they were of opinion that the police would release them after getting bribe.

The mob burnt the robbers afterwards. The victims were immediately taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, wherein the doctors recommended them to Burns Ward CHK. During the treatment one robber died. The deceased was identified as Danish, and the other injured identified as Imran. Both of them were the residents of Orangi Town.

Despite the notice taken by Chief Minister and high officials of police burning culprits on spot by the people is an example of people taking law in their own hands and is actually a question mark on the efficiency of the law-enforcement agencies. While talking to the media representatives, ASI Rafiq said that the policemen were not able to do any thing to save the robbers from the angry mob.

'Our lives were at risk, too, as the people also wanted to kill us', he added. 'We tried to save the robbers by taking off their clothes when the fire caught them immediately' said Khalid, one of the policemen.

However, North Nazimabad town SP Khawaja Naveed said that he was feeling proud of the efforts made by the policemen to save the robbers. He said that the police have found some footages and the arrests will be made soon.

The driver of the bus managed to flee from the scene. The responsible people were mostly those who live at footpaths, having pushcarts, pedestrians and the passengers. There is no one who wants to register an FIR of the case.

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Azhar Ali Farooqi, former IG of Sindh, said that such sort of incidents would make the robbers to strike back with more energy and can increase crimes.

It was observed that in the City a trend of voluntary security watching by the unemployed youth is getting strength day by day. The youth, which is usually equipped with licensed and unlicensed weapons, roam around the areas during the night.