HYDERABAD / RAHIM YAR KHAN: The police forces of Sindh and Punjab are at odds over who gets to take credit for the killing of at least seven dacoits and a police informant, in an alleged encounter on Friday.

The incident took place within Kashmore police limits in the early hours of Friday, but statements from Kahsmore and Rahim Yar Khan district police officials disputed the other’s claims on who led the operation, the area where the alleged encounter took place, the number of dacoits gunned down and the identity of the police informant.

Some unconfirmed reports also suggested that the killings were a result of a dispute between two rival gangs, operating in the riverine areas between Sindh and Punjab.

As per the Kashmore police, the operation took place within the precincts of Ghelpur police station, while an RYK police spokesperson claimed that it occurred within the limits of Machka police station.

The eight dacoits who were gunned down included Janu Indher, Musheer Indher, Soomar Shar, Bhoori Shar, Shahzado Dasti, Nazro, Mawali and a police informant, Usman Chandio.

Officials from Kashmore, Rahim Yar Khan make contradictory claims; gangs say deaths were result of ‘infighting’

Differing accounts

A WhatsApp message shared by RYK police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains at 5:37am on Friday said Janu, the ringleader of the Indher gang, was killed with his three accomplices “in a major operation”. Later, the total number of deaths was revised to six with two injured.

According to Rahim Yar Khan SSP Rizwan Umar Gondal, police informer Usman Chandio, who was planted among the dacoits, was also killed in the operation.

SSP Gondal said Usman was a resident of the Zahir Pir police station area of Rahim Yar Khan and had served a jail term with one of the deceased dacoits. “He was present among the dacoits when they were ambushed with his help.”

He claimed that Kashmore police didn’t provide the police party from Rahim Yar Khan with an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and resultantly Usman was “brutally killed” by the dacoits when he tried to flee.

However, Kahsmore police identified the informant as Jinsar Chandio.

RYK police said the bodies were buried by the dacoits and the police party, led by ASP Shahnawaz Chachar, was unable to retrieve them.Meanwhile, Kashmore SSP Amjad Ahmed Sheikh said the dacoits were killed in an operation led by the Sindh police.

He said police received a tip-off that dacoits were relocating hostages from their hideouts to somewhere in the Ghelpur riverine area in Kashmore.

A team, including officers from the CIA and district police, was formed to intercept the dacoits and free the hostages. The dacoits opened indiscriminate fire as the police party closed in, SSP Sheikh said.

The police returned fire and gunned down the dacoits.

According to local sources and a Sindh police official, the Kashmore police wokred with two individuals, Khadim Shar and Mahar Shar, to trap Janu and his gang.

Khadim has arranged a dinner party and invited Janu and his gang, where they were gunned down. It is unclear whether the killings were carried out by members of the Shar gang or police.

The Sindh police official said one of the deceased dacoits, Soomar, and his brother Saltu, had killed Mahar’s father over a land dispute, so the latter may have used the encounter episode as a chance to settle the score.

SSP Sheikh said the Sindh government had placed head money of Rs5 million on Janu and Rs 3m each on Musheer and Soomar.

A statement by the Sindh police chief also said the operation was led by SSP Sheikh.

According to SSP Sheikh, Janu was actively involved in “honey-trapping” people and later kidnapping them for ransom.

He was also accused of brutally killing twelve people at a petrol pump near Chowk Mahi in Rahim Yar Khan in October 2021. The victims were killed by dacoits belonging to the Indher gang for allegedly informing police about their criminal activities and hideouts.

Gang war

Separately, local gangs have claimed that the killings were a result of the rivalry between the Indher gang and the Chandio clan of Zahir Pir area.

In a TikTok Video, Shahid Lund, the ringleader of the Lund gang, claimed the police claims about the killings were “misleading”.

He claimed the members of Indher gang were at a dinner at an outhouse of Mitha Shar clan where Usman Chandio — the man claimed by RYK police to be their informer — and his gang members also arrived. At 1am on Friday, the gang members exchanged fire over a dispute that left six people dead. Lund said Chandio was killed immediately by the hosts as he was trying to escape.

Waseem Shamsi in Sukkur also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2023