The Return of the Native : One cop dead, ten injured in shootout with Chotu Gang

Members of the gang had captured four police check posts after policemen vacated them during the floods.

KACHA JAMAL/ROJHAN:

A policeman was killed and 10 cops were injured in an encounter with members of the Chotu Gang in Kacha, in Rojhan, Rajanpur district, on Monday morning.

Police said that the Chotu Gang had captured four police check points in Kachi Jamal. Police said the police checkpoints were located neat River Indus and had been vacated during the floods. Police said they had been trying to retrieve the check posts for eight days, but gang members had sophisticated weapons.



Police said 1,100 policemen from four districts – Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Muzaffargarh – were taking part in the operation. They said they had three armoured vans.

When asked how many members of the Chotu Gang were stationed at the check posts, police said approximately 60. They said the gang members were equipped with heavy weapons.

Over the weekend, the Rangers brought two gunship helicopters to help the police recover areas of Kachi Moro and Kachi Jamaal. Police said there was a heavy exchange of fire in the area and the law enforcement agencies had managed to recapture some of the areas.

Rajanpur District Police Officer Zahid Mahmood had led the operation. He told The Express Tribune that they would recover the police check points soon. He said they had launched the operation on receiving information about the presence of Attaullah Butt and other Chotu Gang members in the areas. He said two gunship helicopters of the Pakistan Rangers were also used during the operation and police continued shelling for two hours.

Mahmood said during the recent floods, 500 police officials had been deployed at 16 police check points but the places were inundated and the police officials were shifted to safer places. He said when the flood water receded some members of the Chotu Gang captured four of the check points. The DPO said two of the four police check points had been recovered. He said they were conducting a search operation in the areas they had recovered from the gang.

Mahmood said the main challenge was a time constraint. He said, “Muharram ul Harram is upon us and we need to deploy police officials for Muharram security. We cannot spare the 1,100 officials taking part in the operation.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2015.