Suspected robber killed in Rawalpindi police 'encounter'

RAWALPINDI: A suspected robber was killed in an alleged police encounter in the New Town area on Saturday, while his accomplice escaped, according to a spokesperson for Rawalpindi Police.

The police spokesperson said officers signalled two men riding a motorcycle to stop after finding them suspicious. The two suspects allegedly responded by opening fire, after which an exchange of gunfire took place between the police and the armed men.

During the shootout, one of the suspects was killed. Police later identified him as Shah Rukh. The second suspect fled from the scene, the spokesperson said.

Police also took the motorcycle into custody and recovered weapons that were allegedly being used by the suspects.

Police link dead suspect to earlier robbery cases

According to police, the man killed in the encounter had allegedly been involved in a robbery in the New Town area two days earlier in which a citizen was shot dead.

The spokesperson further said the same suspect was also accused of injuring another citizen during an attempted robbery within the limits of Banni Police Station a few days ago. Police said the victim was wounded after putting up resistance.

The incident adds to a series of robbery-related cases being investigated by police in Rawalpindi, with authorities saying the deceased suspect had already been wanted in connection with recent violent street crime incidents in the city.

Officials said efforts were under way to trace and arrest the fleeing accomplice. No further details about the escaped suspect were provided in the police statement.

The police account of the incident states that the encounter began when officers tried to stop the two riders for checking. According to the spokesperson, the suspects then opened fire on the police party, leading to the gun battle in which Shah Rukh was killed.

Police maintained that the weapons and motorcycle allegedly used by the suspects had been seized as part of the investigation. The case was reported from the jurisdiction of New Town Police Station.

According to the police version, the deceased suspect had been linked to two recent incidents: the killing of a citizen during a robbery in New Town two days earlier, and the injury of another citizen during a robbery attempt in the Banni area a few days before that.