Rawalpindi police. Photo APP
RAWALPINDI:
A robbery suspect who allegedly snatched a purse from an unarmed young woman in Waris Khan police precincts a couple of days ago was arrested after being injured during an encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD), officials said on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Muhammad Sabeel, is said to be a repeat offender involved in multiple purse-snatching incidents targeting women.
Police sources said he had previously been arrested in 11 cases registered in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and had been jailed several times before securing release on bail.
According to CCD sources, a serious robbery was reported on March 10 in Mohalla Qutabud Din, within the limits of Waris Khan Police Station. CCTV footage of the incident had drawn widespread attention. The footage showed an armed suspect attempting to snatch a purse from a young woman walking through the street.
The woman reportedly resisted bravely despite the threat. The suspect fired two shots in an attempt to intimidate her, but she refused to relinquish her purse. She eventually fell to the ground, after which the suspect forcibly snatched the purse and fled the scene.
A case was registered at Waris Khan Police Station on the complaint of the victim.
Police sources said analysis of the CCTV footage and crime data identified the suspect as Muhammad Sabeel, son of Muhammad Anwar, a resident of Dheer Kot in Azad Kashmir. He had previously been arrested in 11 cases of armed purse snatching targeting women, including six cases in Rawalpindi and five in Islamabad. He had been acquitted in two cases, while in the others he was released on bail.
Investigators believe the suspect deliberately targeted women, assuming they would offer little resistance. However, the Rawalpindi incident was unusual in that the victim fought back strongly.
Using CCTV evidence and human intelligence, a CCD team traced the suspect and attempted to arrest him on Wednesday. During the operation, he allegedly opened fire on the police. In the ensuing exchange of fire, he sustained a bullet wound in the same arm he had used to snatch the purse from the victim.
The injured suspect was shifted to Benazir Bhutto Hospital, where senior CCD officers also arrived.
