RAWALPINDI, July 20: An ex-policeman and a retired Pakistan Air Force (PAF) technician were caught red-handed while allegedly looting a Pakistani expatriate’s house at Adiala Road on Friday. However, their two accomplices escaped, police said. Tahir Iqbal, one of the suspected robbers and a retired PAF official, was shot and injured by the inmates when he tried to flee with the loot. His other accomplice was identified as Najmul Hassan, who was dismissed from the Rawalpindi police by City Police Officer Azhar Hameed Khokhar in March for being absent from duty for only three days. Police investigating officer SI Aftab Ahmed said some of the looted gold jewellery had been recovered from the possession of the arrested robbers while a manhunt was launched to capture the two other robbers who escaped with Rs23,000, gold bangles and a cellphone. The family of Waheed Akhtar, who is settled in Dubai, called his brother Raja Saeed Akhtar and informed him that a gang of robbers had entered their house at Sadiq Town, Adiala Road. On receiving the phone call, he along with two other relatives rushed to the house and found the doors locked from inside. After finding the family in trouble, he called the people from the neighborhood and forced their way into the house. On seeing the public, the robbers opened fire and in retaliation Raja Saeed also fired gunshots which injured one of the suspects who was identified as Tahir Iqbal. The other suspect, Najmul Hassan, was also captured by the people and later handed over to the police. The investigating officer said during interrogation the former policeman revealed that he had committed at least five robberies since he lost his police job. “Some of the looted gold jewellery was found from the scene of the crime while the Rs23,000, two gold bangles and a cellphone were taken away by the fleeing robbers.” The suspected robber who sustained a bullet injury to his leg was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital where he was stated to be out of danger.

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