Police action: Three ‘dacoits’, one policeman killed in encounters

Seven criminals were also arrested during the operations in three cities

SUKKUR: Three alleged dacoits were killed and seven others were injured, while a policeman was also killed, in separate encounters between the police and criminals in Shikarpur, Khairpur and Sukkur on Sunday night.

The first encounter took place between the police and suspects in the Rehmatullah Dahani village situated within the Madeji police limits in district Shikarpur, in which three dacoits and a policeman were killed. Journalists from Madeji reported that a heavy contingent of police officers, on a tip-off about the presence of criminals in the area, cordoned off the village.

On seeing the police, the robbers opened fire, resulting in a fierce gun battle in which three dacoits, identified as Rasheed Rind, Jawed Rind and Amanullah alias Amano Tunio, were killed, along with a policeman, Shamsuddin Jatoi. Another officer, Waseem Mirani, was injured and taken to Chandka Medical College in Larkana. The Sindh IG has announced Rs2 million for the deceased policeman’s family and two government jobs for his children.

Police sources claimed that Rasheed Rind was carrying Rs1 million head money and was involved in the kidnapping of two district and sessions judges, Farooq Channa and Abdul Wahab Abbasi, in 2008.

Amanullah was allegedly involved in the murder of three Rangers personnel, including deputy superintendent Abdul Jabbar, near Garhi Yasin two months ago. He carried head money of Rs2 million. The sources added that Jawed Rind was also involved in many cases of crime.

Meanwhile, the Khairpur police claimed to have arrested five injured criminals on Sunday in an alleged encounter near the Begum Nusrat Bhutto Secretariat within A-Section police limits. The arrested suspects, Akram Shaikh, Akhtiar Shaikh, Papoo Mirani, Sharif Mirani and Fakir Muhammad Lashari, were shifted to Civil Hospital, Khairpur. Police claimed that Sharif Mirani was carrying head money of Rs500,000 and was wanted by the police in 19 cases. They added that the accused were involved in robberies in different cities including Khairpur, Sukkur and Karachi.

In Sukkur, two criminals were arrested by the police after an encounter in Site area. The encounter took place near Numaish Road in Old Sukkur, in which three criminals, who were hiding in the area, opened fire upon a police mobile. When the police retaliated, one of the criminals, Sudheer Junejo, was injured and arrested by the police, while his two accomplices managed to escape. Police recovered a TT pistol, a magazine and two bullets from his possession.

Another encounter took place within the limits of Site police. Police claimed that three criminals were hiding near the Site grid station, when police spotted them. The criminals opened fire and in the retaliatory fire a criminal, Aijaz, was injured. His accomplices managed to escape, the police said, adding that a pistol was recovered during the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd,   2015.