Fighting crime: Ghotki police arrest 30 suspects

Over 50 houses in Umar Shah village demolished in operation against criminals

SUKKUR: As many as 30 suspects have been arrested by the Ghotki police since Friday in an ongoing operation against criminals in katcha area of Raunti located in Umar Shah village, while over 50 houses were also demolished during the raids.

The operation was initiated by the police to clear all no-go areas, apprehend criminals and demolish their hideouts. The Raunti katcha area, which is said to be a safe haven for criminals, was raided by a heavy contingent of Ghotki police, led by SSP Masood Bangash. The police team was backed by heavy machinery and armoured personnel carriers.

On Friday, the exchange of fire between the police and criminals continued for more than five hours, after which the police managed to arrest some of the suspects, including two criminals identified as Malhan Shar and Mour Shar, who carried a head money of Rs0.5 million each. Some of the other suspects include Shabbir Shar, Sardar Shar, Hazaro Shar and Ali Muhammad Shar. According to Ghotki SSP, Malhan fired a rocket on an armoured personnel carrier in Raunti in 2006, due to which two policemen died.



To root out criminals from the katcha area once and for all, the police bulldozed more than 50 houses in Umar Shar village, the police said. Some of the residents of the village told local reporters that the police demolished all the houses without prior notice, due to which the villagers have sustained loss of millions of rupees. The villagers claimed that most of the suspects arrested by the police are innocent and the residents of the village are not criminals.

A Daharki-based reporter told The Express Tribune that after Chotu Mazari's surrender in the katcha area of Rajanpur, most of the criminals have either been arrested or have moved to other areas. He said that the katcha area of Ghotki district is linked with katcha of southern Punjab, due to which it is very easy for the criminals to flee to the other province to avoid getting arrested. He said that the operation in the katcha areas is being carried out for the last five to six years, but to no avail. He accused the police to be only interested in seizing wheat stocks, sown by the criminals in the katcha and added that this time the police has demolished an entire village.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the SSP confirmed apprehending more than 30 suspects in the operation. He said that the police have raided and demolished the hideouts of criminals in the katcha, while all no go areas have been cleared and pickets have been established. The SSP added that the police launched the operation in such a way that the criminals were left with only two options, either to die or to surrender.

The SSP claimed that the police had arrested only seven of the suspects, while the others surrendered voluntarily. Police also seized arms and ammunition from the possession of the arrested suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2016.