Crime surge rattles City in first four days of 2020

LAHORE:A sudden spike in criminal cases, many of them caught on camera, has rattled the Lahore City during the first four days of January, 2020.

Similarly, an emergence of fly-by-night’ gangs of criminals have triggered a surge in street crime, causing residents in the provincial metropolis to lose sleep and the police to scramble for new strategies to tackle the menace.

It is observed that robbers and thieves have their unique modes of operation. They come here, commit robberies, snatching, burglaries and thefts during their brief stay and flee back often leaving cops kissing the hare’s foot!

Three robbers looted the house of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew Sher Shah Khan at Upper Mall, Racecourse area on January 4. The robbers took away an expensive cell phone, gold ornaments and a pistol totally worth Rs1.1 million after holding the house inmates hostage at gunpoint.

Twenty-two persons, including three women and a teenage girl were killed during the first four days of January, 2020. Three persons were suspected to have committed suicide, one lost his life over an old enmity, two died of cold weather, one lost his life while taking a selfie from the rooftop of a building, a security guard was killed by robbers, two men’s naked bodies were found inside a house, four died of smoke inhalation, a woman died of burns, a woman was stabbed to death by her husband and brother-in-law, a mother of four committed suicide by hanging herself, a 21-year-old youth committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train, a 30-year-old man was found dead in a washroom of a mosque, a manual labourer died after he accidentally got trapped in a concrete mixer machine, a body of an addict was found, and a 13-year-old girl expired in hospital on January 3, after a stray bullet pierced into her skull in the Misri Shah area on the eve of the New Year Night.

On January 1, body of a man was found hanging from a tree in the Shahdara area. The victim was identified as Muhammad Boota. It was yet to be established whether the man had committed suicide or he was killed and later his body was hanged from a tree to mislead the police.

A 22-year-old youth Irfan was gunned down by his opponents in the Harbanspura area, following an old enmity. No arrest was made. A 45-year-old man was found dead in his house in Gohawa Chowki, Nadarabad. It was suspected that the man Zahid had committed suicide. A 75-year-old man was found dead near Karrol Ghatti, Gujarpura and a 65-year-old man was found dead in the Ghalib Market area. Both the men, yet to be identified, might have died of cold weather, police suspected.

A 34-year-old man Mobeen fell to death from the rooftop while taking a selfie from the rooftop of a building near Chowk Qartaba, Mozang. On January 2, a security guard was killed by four robbers in a warehouse in Rehmat Colony, Kot Lakhpat. The victim identified as Inam had been stabbed by the robbers when he offered resistance. The robbers took away cash Rs1 million and other goods. Police shifted the body to morgue.

Four persons were killed and 19 others received burns in a devastating fire at a leather warehouse in a crowded area in Mochi Gate. The fire started Thursday morning and quickly ripped through the ground floor of the leather godown. The fire took hold so quickly that there was little time for labourers sleeping on the third floor of the godown to escape. Two men’s naked bodies were found inside a house in the Shafiqabad area. The victims identified as 50-year-old Irfan Shah and 45-year-old Irfan Syed, were friends and lived in a house in Karim Park, Shafiqabad. Both the men worked in a printing press in Royal Park. One of the victim’s family members visited the house and got no reply from inside after knocking the door several times. Later, they smashed the door open and discovered the two lying dead in the bathroom. It was suspected that both the men had excessively used drugs, resulting into their death.

A 50-year-old woman was burnt to death after a fire broke out in her house in the Green Town area. The victim was identified as Nargis Bibi, wife of Faryad of Pir Kalan, Green Town. Body was shifted to morgue.

On January 3, a 13-year-old girl expired in hospital, four days after a stray bullet pierced into her skull in the Misri Shah area. A 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her husband and brother-in-law in the limits of Mughalpura police.

The victim was identified as Sabran Bibi, wife of Muhammad Fiaz. The accused had nursed a grudge against the victim as she refused to make a request to her family for money. A 60-year-old man was found dead in the limits of Data Darbar police. The victim, yet to be identified, was an addict who might have died of excessive use of drugs, police suspected.

A mother of four committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan in the Haier area. The victim was identified as Sajida Bibi. Reportedly the woman had ended her life over some unknown domestic issues. A 21-year-old youth committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train near PECO Road, Kot Lakhpat. The victim was identified as Ali Hamza, son of Muhammad Nadim. As per eyewitnesses, Ali had suddenly jumped in front of a moving train, resulting into his instant death.

On January 4, a 30-year-old man was found dead in a washroom of a mosque in the Ichhara area. Police claimed that the man identified as Noman might have died of excessive use of drugs. A manual labourer died after he accidentally got trapped in a concrete mixer machine in the Kahna area. The victim was identified as Yousaf.