Shot dead: Three suspected gangsters gunned down in alleged encounters

The operation was initiated after the bodies of three young men were found from Lyari.

KARACHI: Police and Rangers claim to have killed three alleged gangsters during separate encounters in Lyari after the bodies of three young men, who had been abducted earlier, were found from different parts of the locality.

The encounters took place in Kalri, Kalakot and Baghdadi areas of Lyari, in which three gangsters were killed while at least six of their companions managed to escape under the cover of firing. The suspected gangster killed in Kalri was identified as Rasheed alias Mullah, the brother-in-law of notorious Lyari gang commander, Omar Kutchi. Mushtaq alias Malik who was affiliated with the Faisal Pathan Group of Uzair Baloch gang was killed in Kalakot, while the third gangster who was killed in Baghdadi was identified as Javed alias Saleem. He was associated with the Wasiullah Lakho group of Lyari gangsters. Their bodies were taken to Civil Hospital, Karachi.

Police officials said that the gangsters were killed during the search operation which was initiated after the bodies of the three young men, who had been abducted earlier, were found from different locations in the limits of Kalakot police station.

The three young men were later identified as Rehman Baloch, Khalil Shakoor and Waseem Qasim. Police officials said that the victims had no link with the gang war and had no criminal record. They were apparently killed by the gangsters over suspicion of being informants for the law enforcers.

Separately, an alleged criminal who was wounded in an encounter with the police a couple of days ago in Aziz Bhatti, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Police officials said that 27-year-old Raheemullah, was injured and his companion, Abdullah was killed in an encounter with the police on University Road. The suspects had been looting passersby when the police intercepted them.

Meanwhile, Rangers claim to have apprehended a suspect allegedly involved in extortion cases. Rangers spokesperson said that the paramilitary force conducted a raid on the hideout of a banned outfit near Ijtimagah and arrested an extortionist affiliated with the banned organisation. The spokesperson added that a weapon and a huge amount of extorted money were seized from his possession.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2014.