A young doctor serving at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) was killed during an armed robbery near Karachi’s Clifton area on Monday, police said.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said the incident took place near Teen Talwar, where Dr Akash Kumar was fatally wounded while accompanying his father and cousin outside a bank.
According to the police, armed men attempted to rob the family, triggering an exchange of gunfire. Authorities said the bank’s private security guard also fired his weapon after apparently believing the suspects were targeting the bank.
The robbers escaped with nearly Rs2.5 million in cash.
Police said Dr Kumar, who had been working at JPMC for the past two years, was unmarried. After legal formalities were completed at JPMC, his body was shifted to the Chhippa morgue.
Investigators have collected CCTV footage from the surrounding area and obtained geo-fencing data along the route and at the crime scene to trace the suspects.
During the preliminary investigation, police concluded that the bullet which fatally struck the doctor was fired by the bank’s security guard. The guard has since been taken into custody, and officers recovered a spent shell casing from his pistol.
DIG Raza said the doctor had withdrawn Rs5 million from a private bank near Dilpasand Sweets at around 12:03 pm and later spent approximately Rs50,000 on purchases.
He, along with his father and cousin, then travelled a short distance to another bank, where four men riding two motorcycles, who had been following them, intercepted the family.
Police said the security guard, assuming the armed men intended to rob the bank, entered the premises, drew his weapon and opened fire.
According to investigators, the robbers fired two shots while snatching a bag containing Rs2.5 million from the victim. The security guard also discharged his firearm during the confrontation.
Dr Kumar sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was rushed to a nearby private hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police are continuing their investigation to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
