Toddler girl killed, mother wounded in crossfire between police and robbers

A nine-month-old toddler girl was killed and her mother wounded during an exchange of fire between police and robbers near Five Star Chowrangi in North the Nazimabad area on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a young man was killed for putting up resistance during a mugging bid.

The exchange of fire between robbers and police took place near the Mateen Food Centre in North Nazimabad Block M within the limits of the Taimuria police station. Police said they had received information about robbers mugging citizens at gunpoint in North Nazimabad, after which a motorcycle squad was sent to chase the robbers.

Police claimed that a shootout took place between the police squad and robbers in which a baby girl, Anabia, was killed and her 24-year-old mother Hina, wife of Rashid, was injured after being hit by bullets fired by the robbers. The woman was travelling in a rickshaw with her daughter when they were shot.

“The robbers opened fire on the police after seeing them,” Taimuria SHO Abdur Rasheed Lodhi told The News. He added that many people had witnessed the incident and it was clear that the woman and her daughter were hit by bullets fired by the robbers.

The officer also claimed that one of the robbers was also wounded by the firing of his accomplices but they took him away with them as they fled.

A female relative of the injured woman also accompanied her in the rickshaw. She remained unhurt in the incident, police said, adding that they were residents of Surjani Town and were on their way to Liaquatabad to visit their relatives when the tragic incident took place.

The robbers fled the scene following the incident. The mother and her daughter were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors pronounced the nine-month-old girl dead.

The body was later handed over to the family after completion of medico-legal formalities.

“We don’t know whose bullet hit them – police’s or robbers’,” the deceased girl’s maternal uncle Ovais told the media. “My sister is saying the police’s bullet hit them as she saw policemen resorting to firing as the robbers tried to escape after shooting fire in the air.”

District Central SSP Maroof Usman also reached Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to inquire into the incident. He told the media that a police squad was patrolling when citizens informed them about the robbers. He added that the exchange of fire took place when the police started following them.

The rickshaw was in between the police and robbers, he said, adding that the statements of the policemen had been recorded. No policeman has been taken into custody, he explained.

A team has been formed under the supervision of the DSP to probe the incident. He said the policemen had small weapons and so far the investigators had collected two empty shells from the scene. Relevant CCTV footage was also being obtained, he said. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and ordered immediate arrest of the culprits. He said such incidents would not be tolerated and sought a detailed report from the Karachi additional IG.

Separately, a young man was shot dead for offering resistance during a mugging bid on the Northern Bypass within the limits of the Gulshan-e-Maymar police station.

Following the incident, police and rescuers reached the scene and took the casualty to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The victim was identified as 25-year-old Mehran, son of Hanif.