Rawalpindi/islamabad     -     A dacoit was killed while two others managed to escape with Rs15 million in cash after a citizen fired at them with a pistol during a dacoity near Mall Plaza here on Monday, informed sources.

A fleeing dacoit also sustained bullet injury in the foot, they said. Police took the dead body of the dacoit besides seizing two pistols from the deceased, sources said.

The incident took place within limits of Police Station Cantt.

However, a police spokesman claimed the dacoit died of firing of his accomplices.

According to sources, a citizen namely Nehmat Khan arrived in Mall Plaza for exchanging  US dollars by parking his car in a square adjacent with Fleshman Hotel. They said the citizen was heading towards his car having a cash of Rs15 million in a bag when three dacoits riding on a motorcycle intercepted him in the square. The dacoit snatched cash from him and were riding on motorcycle to flee when the citizen whipped out his pistol and opened firing on the dacoits killing one on the spot while injuring another, sources said. However, the two dacoits managed to flee on motorcycle with the cash they snatched from the citizen.

A heavy contingent of police led by Station House Officer Cantt Ahsan Kiyani rushed to crime scene and took the dead body into custody besides recording statements of the eyewitnesses and the victim citizen as part of investigation. Police investigators recovered two pistols that are believed to be of the dead dacoit.

“I am loaded with a pistol having all Pakistan license. I am satisfied that I have shot dead a dacoit and injured the other one who snatched my cash from me,” sources quoted Nehmat Khan, the victim, as sharing with the police investigators on crime scene.

Later, the dead body of the dacoit was moved to District Headquarters Hospital for autopsy. The identity of the dacoit was yet to be ascertained by the investigators, sources mentioned.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman shared a message with media men claiming the robber was shot dead by his own accomplices during a dacoity bid in limits of PS Cantt. He said Nehmat Khan was going to Mall Plaza for exchanging foreign currency when three robbers attempted to deprive him of currency.

The robbers opened firing when the citizen tried to put of resistance and a bullet hit their accomplice who died on the spot, the spokesman said. Superintendent of Police Syed also inspected crime scene and told media that several teams have been constituted to arrest the fleeing robbers. SSP (Operations) Tariq Wilayat, following directions of CPO, also inspected the crime scene.

In Islamabad, the personnel of Special Branch have held a man and seized weapon from him when he was trying to sneak into sit-in of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, informed sources.

The detained man identified as Makhan Abbasi was moved to Police Station Industrial Area for further investigation.

A senior police officer told the media men that Makhan Abbasi arrived in a car and was trying to enter through walk through gate in sit-in being staged by Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl when personnel of Special Branch stopped him for body search.

The personnel of Special Branch seized a pistol from him and arrested him, he said. Further investigation was on, he said. 

Similarly, Inspector General of Police Islamabad Amir Zulfiqar Khan, in a statement, pledged to spend the night with the cops performing security duty in the federal capital. “I will not proceed to my home rather will spend my time with my cops who are guarding the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl marchers and imparting security duty in Islamabad,” he said.