On the run? Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of the infamous Don Golo

Police and his clients suspect that Golo has fled with billions of rupees to Punjab.

SUKKUR:

As thousands of people gathered around the residence of Amanat Ali Khan aka Don Golo in village Naukot on Tuesday night, the man known for doubling his clients’ money within a month disappeared as mysteriously as the business he ran. 

Don Golo’s claim to fame was recently questioned by multiple religious and political parties who called his business “illegal and un-Islamic”. This created panic among Don Golo’s clients, who according to sources, feared that he would run away with their money which amounts to billions of rupees. Sources also stated that an internal rift over money between the Don and some of his ‘agents’, who dealt with the clients, caused the latter to turn on their boss. Following these developments, the clients and the agents late Tuesday night gathered around Don Golo’s house, which was being guarded by his personal security and the police, and demanded their money back.

Police’s involvement

According to Ubauro DSP Jawed Karim Napar, the police intervened so that the situation doesn’t turn violent. He confirmed to The Express Tribune that the police cordoned off the village not to arrest Don Golo but to make sure that the angered clients did not harm the residents of the village.

When contacted, Ghotki SSP Abdul Salam Shaikh also told The Express Tribune that the police had cordoned off the village last night only to protect the lives and properties of the residents. When asked why the police had failed to take any action against Don, Salam said that no complaint has been registered against the man and the police could not act on their own. He said that the Federal Investigation Agency was the right authority to take action in such cases. “But despite my written request, they didn’t do anything,” said Salam.

He added that a few days back, the Ghotki district and sessions judge had taken notice of the illegal business but he didn’t issue any order in this regard. “People and journalists accuse us of accepting bribes from Don and siding with him, but I want to make it clear that no police officials ever accepted any money from the man.”

When asked if Don Golo had fled to Punjab, which was what majority of the people in the area believed, the SSP said that to his knowledge, Don Golo was at his residence till Tuesday night. “He might have escaped later on. The possibility cannot be ruled out since Naukot is a big village with 2,000 to 2,500 houses and multiple exit and entry points.”

Rumour has it

On the other hand, many clients of Don Golo and residents of the village believe that the police was providing Golo protection on the pretext of keeping the situation calm.

“I was facing financial problems which is why I gave Don Golo Rs0.35 million on July 12,” said Khalid Hussain Leghari, a resident of Mirpur Mathelo. “But on August 12, when I was supposed to get double my money, I was told to come back after two days. And then those two days kept on being extended.”

Leghari said that when he last went to Don Golo’s house, there were a number of other people who were also demanding their money back, but the police were not letting them speak to the man. “The police are also involved with Don Golo and providing him protection. Now we’re getting to hear that he has fled to Punjab. If that’s the case, I might never see my money.”

Other people also told The Express Tribune that they had been informed that Don Golo had run away to Punjab with the help of an influential minister in the Punjab government.

Members of the Hindu community of Ghotki had also given Don Golo millions of rupees and have been unable to get any response from him or his agents.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2013.