KARACHI: Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a young doctor who was shot dead during a robbery near Teen Talwar in Karachi’s Clifton area, according to a press release issued by South Zone police on Wednesday.

Dr Akash Kumar, a doctor at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), was killed on Monday after robbers intercepted his vehicle near Teen Talwar and escaped with around Rs2 million that he was carrying after withdrawing cash from a private bank.

The killing sparked widespread outrage within the medical community, with doctors staging protests at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where Dr Akash served as a house officer. The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) also condemned the killing, describing it as evidence of the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.

In the press release issued on Wednesday, police provided details of the events leading up to the robbery. They said that Dr Akash arrived at a bank on Monday to withdraw Rs5m, of which he kept Rs2m and Rs3m in separate white envelopes. It said that the vehicle with Dr Akash, his father, a cousin and the cash envelopes was intercepted by four robbers on two motorcycles when they arrived at their location, which was a second bank.

It said that one of the suspects opened the car door and fired at Dr Akash, who then died after being shifted to the hospital. It said that a case of the incident was subsequently registered on the complaint of the suspect’s father.

The police said that on Tuesday night, a suspicious car was seen in Defence area. It said that officials pursued them and arrested three suspects, adding that mobile phones and three pistols were also seized, for which a case was registered.

It added that a white Suzuki Alto allegedly used by the suspects to flee, bearing fake registration plates, was also seized.

According to the press release, the suspects told investigators during initial interrogation that they were involved in the doctor’s killing. They said that they had monitored the victim before the robbery and had an accomplice inside the first bank, who alerted them after Dr Akash withdrew the cash.

Police said the insider informed the gang about the victim’s appearance and the amount withdrawn, enabling them to intercept the vehicle as it headed to the second bank.

Police said in the press release that the arrested suspects belonged to a gang involved in robberies and street crimes across Karachi and had criminal records, adding that raids were under way to arrest their remaining accomplices.

The press release was issued after a press conference by South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Asad Raza and Muqaddas Haider, the Crime Investigation Agency’s (CIA) DIG in Karachi.

The officials also shared the details outlined in the press release during the media briefing in Karachi, where DIG Raza said police had collected more than 100 files from CCTV cameras installed in different areas to track down the suspects.

“It helped us unearth the identity of the suspects and arrest them,” he said, adding that one of the arrested suspects was recently released on bail. He said another arrested suspect was facing trial in a case and the third one had been declared an absconder.

DIG Raza identified the arrested suspects as Suresh, Ram Chand and Anil, who he said had been residing in Karachi for a considerable time but hailed from Daharki, Thul and Naushahro Feroze.

Replying to a question, he ruled out personal enmity as a reason for the murder.

CIA DIG Haider said 30 cases of robbery with murder had been reported in Karachi to the law enforcers so far this year, in comparison to 48 cases reported during the first seven months of 2025.

“This is a decline of at least 37 per cent,” he said, adding that cases of robbery with injury had shown more than 30pc decline.

Acknowledging that street crime was a big issue, he maintained that no rise was recorded in those cases this year in comparison to last year and were “still under control”. He also said that vehicle snatching had been on a “continuous decline” since last year.

He refuted that street crime was on the rise in the city.

On this, DIG Raza said a spike in cases of robbery with murder and robbery with injury was seen in January and May, but just one case of robbery with murder and 18 of robbery with injury were recorded in June.

“The number is significantly less than the one recorded in previous months and these cases are showing a declining trend,” he said.

The FIR

A case for Dr Akash’s murder was registered at Karachi’s Frere Hall Police Station on Tuesday, according to a copy of the first information report (FIR) seen by Dawn.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of Dr Akash’s cousin, Sanjay Kumar, under Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention), 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The complainant told the police that he, Dr Akash and his father had reached a bank at around 11:40am on July 13 and drawn cash worth Rs50m. He said Dr Akash’s father divided the cash, keeping an envelope containing Rs30m with him and handing over the one with Rs20m to Dr Akash as they left for another bank.

Kumar informed the police that Dr Akash’s father was sitting on the passenger seat beside him in the car while Dr Akash was on the back seat.

According to his account of the incident, the culprits, on two motorcycles, accosted their vehicle near the second bank. “They stopped one of the motorcycles beside the window of the driver’s seat and the other behind my car,” he said, adding that one of the men on the motorcycles first fired at the bank’s guard, who remained unhurt.

“Similarly, one among them hit their weapon on the driver’s seat window and fired a shot at me, but I, too, remained unhurt,” he added. They then opened the back seat door and fired at Dr Akash, who was wounded and later succumbed to his injuries, the complainant said.

He added that the robbers took the Rs20m envelope kept with Dr Akash and fled the scene.

He also said he would be able to identify them.