Crime and punishment: 7 members of a ‘dangerous gang’ killed in ‘encounter’

Police says Andhar gang had been involved in robbery, murder and kidnap-for-ransom for two decades


“The gang and its hideouts have been decimated,” the spokesperson said. The bodies have been taken to the morgue at the Rahim Yar Khan District Headquarters Hospital and will be handed over to their families for burial later, he said. PHOTO: ONLINE

BAHAWALPUR/ FAISALABAD: Police killed seven members of the “extremely dangerous” Andhar Gang in an encounter on Monday night, a spokesperson of the Rahim Yar Khan district police said on Tuesday. “Andhar Gang was the last of the most violent gangs that had been operating in Rahim Yar Khan.”

He said that Sadiqbad DSP Mehar Saqib had received information that members of the gang were hiding at a house in a Machka police precinct. DPO Zeeshan Asghar sent a team of cops from Sadiqabad Saddar, Sadiqabad City, Kot Sabzal, Ahmadpur Lama and Machka police stations to raid the house in Kharor village on Monday night.

The spokesperson said when the police contingent arrived at the location, members of the Andhar Gang shot at them. The shootout went on for some time and seven gang members were killed. He said the deceased were identified as: Janoo Andhar, Laal Baksh, Faqeer Muhammad, Munir, Saleem, Nadir and Elahi Bakhsh Mazaar.

Last week, the gang had abducted Muhammad Ayub, a merchant, and his nephew from Maahi Chowk, Rahim Yar Khan. They had demanded a heavy ransom from their family.

The spokesperson said the Andhar gang had been involved in robbery, murder and kidnap-for-ransom incidents over a period of two decades in Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Muzaffargarh districts. He said the gang had the protection of some local politicians as well. “They had access to sophisticated weapons and have used rocket launchers against police in the past.”

The spokesperson said that the police had launched several operations against the gang in the past but they had always managed to slip away. The most recent operation was led by DPO Zahid Nawaz Marwat a year ago at the gang’s hideout near Maahi Chowk.

The spokesperson said that the Andhar Gang had built a large hideout there with 4-feet wide and 10-feet tall walls of mud. “This hideout was destroyed in the operation Marwat had launched after the gang had attacked police men at a sugar mill with rocket launchers.”

He said no one had been hurt at that time.

However, the gang was responsible for murdering Sadiqabad Assistant Superintendent Junaid Sheikh in a previous encounter, said the spokesperson.

“The gang and its hideouts have been decimated,” the spokesperson said. The bodies have been taken to the morgue at the Rahim Yar Khan District Headquarters Hospital and will be handed over to their families for burial later, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2016.

 

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ