Three held within 36 hours in Dr Akash murder case, Karachi police

KARACHI, Jul 15 (APP): Karachi Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested three suspects within 36 hours in connection with the murder of Dr Akash during a robbery in the Frere area, saying the case had been solved through technical evidence and extensive analysis of CCTV footage.

Addressing a press conference, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) South Asad Raza, accompanied by DIGP CIA Muqaddas Haider, SSP Investigation South and SSP Operations South Mahzoor Ali, said the incident had occurred on July 13 when Dr Akash was shot dead during a robbery attempt.

He termed the incident highly tragic and said the Karachi Police had treated the case as a major challenge. Following directives from Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh, special investigation teams were constituted and immediate efforts were launched to trace the culprits.

The DIGP said investigators identified and arrested three suspects within 36 hours of the incident. Four suspects riding two motorcycles were involved in the crime, while a car was also used during the operation.

He said the victim had withdrawn cash from a bank before being followed by the suspects. A lookout present inside the bank monitored the family’s movements and alerted the accomplices around 20 minutes after the cash withdrawal.

The suspects intercepted the victim’s vehicle in the Frere area and attempted to rob him. During the robbery, they opened fire, critically injuring Dr Akash, who later succumbed to his injuries.

Asad Raza said police launched the investigation by obtaining CCTV footage from the crime scene and subsequently reviewed recordings from more than 100 cameras, including those of the Command and Control Centre, Safe City system and private installations.

He said investigators first identified the lookout before tracing the remaining suspects. The car used in the crime was later tracked to the Defence area, leading to further breakthroughs.

Police recovered cash, mobile phones and the weapon allegedly used in the crime from the arrested suspects, he added.

The DIG said a case had been registered at Frere Police Station, while raids were under way to arrest the remaining absconding suspects.

He said the arrested men had previously been involved in similar street crimes, adding that one of them was a proclaimed offender.

Police remained in constant contact with the victim’s family and would ensure that all those involved in the crime were brought to justice, he added.