‘Most wanted’ criminal killed in encounter

Saltoo was allegedly involved in more than 200 cases

RAHIM YAR KHAN:

An alleged bandit, Saltoo Shar, who was the leader of the Shar Gang and carried a reward of Rs10 million for his arrest, was killed in an alleged police encounter on the Sindh-Punjab border.

Saltoo Shar was allegedly involved in more than 200 cases of robbery, kidnapping and murder.

A major police operation took place in the Ronti Kachha area near the Sindh-Punjab border on Tuesday in which Saltoo Shar, along with an accomplice, Esoo Shar, were killed in an alleged encounter.

The police took the bodies of the two slain “robbers” into custody and shifted them to the hospital for medico-legal formalities.

The DPO felicitated the policemen on the killing of the Shar Gang leader, Saltoo Shar, in the encounter.

In a different development, alleged robbers opened fire at the vehicle of the Elite Force within the limits of the Bhong Police Station.

The Elite Force personnel miraculously escaped unhurt in the firing incident. The robbers escaped after the incident.

The police personnel returned the fire in self-defence which made the alleged robbers escape.

Police have cordoned off the entire area.

In July last year, Khuda Bakhsh Chakrani alias Khudi, the ringleader of the notorious Ladi Gang who was wanted in over 30 cases by the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), was killed in a police encounter along with one of his accomplices in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Chakrani had kidnapped an opponent named Ramzan in the Koh-e-Safido tribal region of Dera Ghazi Khan, cut off his hands and feet and killed him. A video of the gruesome act was recorded and went viral on social media.

The LEAs launched a search operation in Kot Mubarak where Chakrani was hiding along with his accomplices. Chakrani and his accomplice Ismail were killed in an exchange of fire with the police. Chakrani was involved in dozens of incidents including robbery, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder and police encounters and was advertised in more than 30 cases.

Rangers, police and other law enforcement agencies, including the Counter-Terrorism Department, launched a joint operation in the region. In May last year, an operation was launched in Dera Ghazi Khan by the security forces and other law enforcement agencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2022.