Rawalpindi-The city witnessed a sharp increase in the street crimes as more than 75 incidents of house robberies, dacoities and vehicle theft were reported during last 48 hours in the various parts of city, informed sources on Wednesday.
Robbers mugged dozens of houses and the dacoits also targeted scores of citizens including women on roads and in streets depriving them of purses, gold ornaments, mobile phones and cash. Similarly, auto-theft gangs picked away six cars, a rickshaw and 31 motorcycles from different localities, they said. City had witnessed crime surge during the last one month despite a stringent lockdown but it was gradually increasing with every passing day which is evident from the fact that the criminals and gangsters looted families and citizens of valuables in 75 hits during 48 hours or so.
Thereasons behind surge in street crime was the “capability” issue of top brass of the Rawalpindi police, particularly the appointments of station house officers of “tainted” record.
This had created a sense of insecurity among the citizens including women who are hesitating in moving on roads and streets even in day time.
A citizen UmairShakeel lodged a complaint with PS SaddarBairooni stating he was present in house of his in-laws located at National Housing Scheme at Adiala Road and were finalizing the arrangements of marriage of his brother-in-law Muhammad Khizar when a gang of four armed robbers stormed into the house. He said the robbers impersonated as officials of sensitive department and locked the family members in a room. Later on, the robbers collected cash Rs 1,000,000, five mobiles, 23 tola gold ornaments, three diamond rings, 20 perfumes and a 30-bore pistol and fled. He requested police to register a case and held the robbers.
In the limits of PS Airport, a gang of robbers also scaled the walls of house of Malik Usama and stole gold ornaments and Rs 200,000 cash and ran away. Similarly, robbers robbed gold and cash from house of AhteshamKhaliq and stole precious wedding dresses and cash from the boutique of Danish.
Robbers also committed robbery in house of Asad (area of PS SaddarWah) and made away with cash. In the jurisdiction of PS Race Course, robbers looted cash from house of a lady Tehmina. Robbers also stolen cash and gold ornaments from house of Fayyaz in the area of PS SaddarBairooni. Two houses (owned by Sajid and Sabih Ur Rehman) were also burgled in the limits of police stations Airport and Race Course.
A gang of armed dacoits walked in a bakery of Sheraz in Airport area and snatched Rs 150,000 and a mobile phone. In limits of PS Race Course, unknown robbers smashed the locks of shop of Yasir and stoleRs 60,000 cash and calling cards worth Rs 150,000. Two dacoits having sophisticated weapons stormed into a factory owned byZaheer in jurisdiction of PS Naseerabad and snatched Rs 10,000. A gang of three dacoits also entered in shop of Asim in Sadiqabad and deprived him and customers of Rs 71,000, calling cards worth Rs 125000 and three mobile phones. In limits of PS Rawat, unidentified dacoits mugged a weapon and cash Rs 200,000 from shop of Atif and fled.
In incidents of street crime, a gang of armed dacoits intercepted Nabil and his friends in area of PS New Town and looted cash from them on gunpoint. Dacoits also snatched cash and car key from a citizen namely Ali Asghar in jurisdiction of PS Rawat. In the jurisdiction of PS Taxila, a man Yasir along with his wife was going somewhere when the couple was intercepted by a gang of dacoits and deprived them of cash and gold jewelry. Similarly, gangs of armed dacoits snatched mobile phones and cash from scores of citizens in the limits of police stations, Airport, Pirwadhai, Naseerabad, RA Bazaar,SaddarBairooni, City and Sadiqabad.
The auto theft gangs also lifted six cars, a rickshaw and 31 motorcycles from the limits of police stations Pirwadhai, Airport, RattaAmral, New Town, Westridge, Race Course, Civil Lines, Cannt, Rawat, Taxila, SaddarBairooni and Banni.
Police, on the complaints of victims, had registered separate cases and began investigation with no recovery or arrest of criminals so far.