Family feud: Alleged killer of nine peasants held

The suspect confesses to his involvement in kidnapping for ransom cases.

SUKKUR: A suspect allegedly involved in the killings of nine peasants in Khairpur in 2009 was arrested by the Larkana police on Tuesday.

SSP Larkana Pir Mohammad Shah said that four others were also injured in the attack allegedly committed by Master Saeed Narejo four years back. The suspect had a head money of Rs1 million and was wanted by the police in 22 different cases of crime.

The SSP was addressing a press conference at his office on Tuesday.

Those allegedly killed by Narejo included Naimatullah Shaikh, Ghulam Abbas Shaikh, Irfan Shaikh, Zulfiqar Shaikh, Nadeem Shaikh, Mohammad Essa Shaikh, Nek Mohammad Maitlo, Mohammad Bachal Maitlo and Rajab Maitlo. The names of injured are Naseer Shaikh, Ali Khan Shaikh, Sarang Shaikh and Aijaz Maitlo.

For his part, Narejo told the reporters that his cousins were influential persons and had usurped a piece of his family land. Afterwards, the cousins also hired his peasants at a higher wage, he said. “Several times I asked my former employees not to work for my rivals, but they never paid heed.” He said that while he was in Punjab with his wife in 2009, some men killed and injured the peasants. Later, his cousins nominated him and his relatives in the FIR, he added.

“Since then, I have been absconding. ” He confessed that he was involved in kidnapping for ransom cases, but did not kill or injure the Shaikh and Maitlo clansmen.

The SSP further said that the accused held Masters degrees in English, Economics and Urdu, besides passing the CSS written test. He further said that the accused was a high school teacher at Wada Mahesar High School in Khairpur.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2013.