More dacoits face public fury

LAHORE/KARACHI - Following two incidents of beating  dacoits badly and subsequently burning them alive under open sky in Karachi, the horrendous trend has set foot in Lahore also. This happened when a dacoit was caught during his attempt of robbery in broad-daylight at Ufone distribution centre at the densely populated Sanda Chowk here on Sunday. He was thrashed by the angry mob badly and later he was about to be burnt alive but saved.

According to details four robbers barged into the new Ufone shop owned by one Azam Nisar, held the owner and his employees at gunpoint collected Rs 95,000 and 80 cell phones and tried to escape on their two motorcycles. Unluckily for two robbers, their bike LEL-6368 could not start as a result of which one of them Amjad was caught by the citizens while the other succeeded in making good his escape. Scores of people gathered there and started thrashing the robber. In the meantime someone managed a bottle of petrol and a matchbox but he was saved from being set on fire on the interference of senior citizens. Immediately after this Sanda police officials reached the spot and managed to recover the robber, taking him to the police lock-up in critical condition. A case was registered against the robbers.

The citizens watching the incident were of the view that the new trend was in fact an outcome of the frustration built-up among the masses on feeling that justice was almost extinct or otherwise not provided to the wronged party. People of Pakistan are frequently subjected to robbery, rape and murder almost everyday but their hope to see justice administered generally turn ashes when they find no justice is provided to the wronged and the culprits are not called to account. They said that the frustration, when it rises up to an extent, prompts the angry mob take the law in their hands and do such kind of acts.

A senior police officer said on condition of anonymity this was a dangerous trend. He warned that people with enmity could torch their enemies claiming they were robbers. One should control this situation, he said

Zeeshan Khalid, spectator said when dictators are not punished for committing treason against the nation, when they people watch helplessly a few Army Generals amass wealth hoardings without accountability, when criminals and murderers get amnesty under NRO, when courts are filled with PCO goons, this is what happens when people do not have faith in the courts.

An old man Ghalib Ali said that if more instances like these take place, maybe dacoits will think twice before they plunder the people. "We are living in jungle therefore seeking for justice is insanity. People of Pakistan are meant for miseries and injustice."

He said despite all the arguments, these were brutal act of fascism, criminal mindedness, inhuman approach, with expression of attitude towards cruel advancement.

I think supporting such retaliation expresses, ones like and dislikes and caliber of thoughts to be defined in the contest of crime.

Sadiqa Haleema said, "I would actually quite outright suggest that the onlookers and perpetrators of this human arson are all a bunch of spineless, maniacal barbarians who're all going to end up in hell for what they just did/let happen." She said that robbery does not equal murder and one has to consider that the robbers probably had families to feed too. With such extreme differences in the haves and the have-nots, you can't really blame the desperate either, she concluded.

Meanwhile, angry mob lynched four more robbers, reportedly wanted to kill them and burnt them alive to strengthen the series of grim incidents happened last week in which five alleged robbers were immolated.

Two other cases of lynching robbers took place in Gulberg and Surjani Town police precincts on Sunday. The alleged robbers were being tortured and beaten up by the mob. The incident took place in Block-11 FB Area, Gulberg when a police mobile unit was on petrol reached the scene and rescued the robbers from the mob custody.

The enraged mob was found engaged in thrashing the robbers badly with bricks and bamboo sticks when police arrived.

"We heard the loud screaming of people elsewhere and when we reached there some people were trying to burn them," said Gulberg Town SP Allauddin Abbasi. The police barged inside the crowd and rescued the alleged bandits and also made a search for those who chanted to burn them alive.

It would be difficult to say at this stage that they are robbers or not, said Abbasi. "The boys are identified as Zakir Ali and Faisal, apparently in their teens, and are residents of Liaquatabad.

SP while quoting the boys as saying that one of them is working in the garments factory while other one in a printing press and they were on their way to their workplace when the incident took place.

Abbasi said that the police was looking the complainant or eyewitnesses for the registration of case while verification of recovered motorbike and previous record of both the boys is yet to be ascertained but it will be resolved soon.

The boys were in police custody and were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for the treatment. Some policemen were also victimised by the charged mob during the rescue efforts, SP claimed. There were the reports that the police cards were found from the pockets of alleged robbers but the SP denied.

The similar incident took place in Surjani police precincts where two alleged robbers were caught by the citizens.

The incident took place at Rozi Goth when two alleged robbers identified as Saleem and Naeem were trying to rob a citizen Nafees Ahmed Siddiqui.

Siddiqui along with his some other associates were sitting in a car when robbers tried to snatch their mobile phones and valuables. The robbers opened fire after resistance. Siddiqui who have had his licensed pistol with him injured both the robbers in counter fire.

At the same time, people of the area gathered and start beating the robbers. Police reached the scene and take them to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Police claimed that they have recovered the two TT pistols and two mobile phones from their possessions. However, an FIR had not been registered till the filing of this report.

There were also some reports that two dacoits were arrested by the Landhi police. On getting information the mob surrounded the police station to beat the robbers. However, DIG AD Khawaja denied any news of Landhi police station surrounding by the mob and said that such type of incident yet not happened in Landhi. He said that the people did not try to burn the robbers in Surjani.