Karachi doctor murder suspects die after police say raid turned violent

Three suspects arrested in the killing of young Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre doctor Dr Akash Kumar were killed on Thursday after, police say, an operation to locate their accomplices ended in an exchange of fire near Karachi’s Northern Bypass. According to the Special Investigation Unit, the men were taken to Ahmed Brohi Goth, close to the Northern Bypass Toll Plaza, so they could identify other people believed to be involved in the case. The area falls within the jurisdiction of Gulshan-i-Memar police station. The police claim that once the suspects spotted law enforcers, accomplices opened fire on the police party. The SIU said one police official and the three suspects were injured in the exchange. They were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, but the three suspects died on the way to hospital, police said. Officers added that they were still searching for the absconding suspects and that further legal steps were under way. The development comes days after Dr Akash was killed on July 13 in a robbery near Teen Talwar in Karachi. Police say he was intercepted by robbers after withdrawing cash from a private bank, and that around Rs2 million was taken from him. The killing drew strong reaction from doctors and medical groups, who described it as another sign of worsening street crime and insecurity in the city. Doctors at JPMC staged protests after the death of their colleague, who had been serving there as a house officer. The Pakistan Medical Association also condemned the killing and linked it to the broader law and order challenge facing Karachi. Police have said Dr Akash had gone to a bank to withdraw Rs5 million, though they added that he kept Rs2 million with him when the robbery took place. That detail has become part of the wider investigation into how the crime unfolded and whether the suspects involved were acting alone or as part of a larger network. One key point still not fully clear is the status of the broader case now that the suspects in custody have died. Police say the hunt for other accused people continues, but it is not yet clear what evidence has been gathered, how many others may be involved, or whether investigators believe the shooting near Ahmed Brohi Goth was a planned confrontation or an attempt to resist arrest. The case has become a flashpoint for Karachi residents and health workers alike because it combines two recurring concerns in the city: violent street crime and the safety of medical professionals. For now, police are presenting Thursday’s operation as part of an ongoing manhunt, while the circumstances of the exchange of fire will likely remain under scrutiny as the investigation moves forward.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017795/suspects-arrested-in-jpmc-doctor-murder-case-killed-in-exchange-of-fire-with-accomplices-police-claim