SUKKUR / HYDERABAD: Over 30 armed dacoits, belonging to the Budhani Jatoi gang, stormed the Kot Shahu police station in the katcha area of Khanpur early on Wednesday morning and abducted five policemen, including the station house officer and his son, officials confirmed.

Reports coming from the area suggested the dacoits cordoned off the area surrounding the police station before barging in the building.

The kidnapped officials are SHO Mehboob Brohi, his son Mohammad Ali [an under-training cop], head moharir Naeem Gopang, policemen Jan Mohammad Bakhrani and Ayaz Kumbhar.

Sources claimed the kidnapped officials had been taken to the adjacent katcha area of Kot Shahu in Shikarpur.

Taking notice of the incident, DIG Larkana Range Javed Jaskani directed the SSP Shikarpur to take stern action against the Budhani Jatoi gang, adding that police had been directed to encamp in Jatoi’s village to recover the hostages.

Police said SSP Shikarpur Khalid Mustafa Korai led a contingent of personnel, drawn from different police stations, to the katcha area of Kot Shahu to get the hostages freed.

“Police and Rangers have established camps in the katcha area and picked up four to five suspects,” said DIG Jaskani, expressing hope for an early recovery of hostages.

Pressure tactic?

A police source in Shikarpur told Dawn the dacoits had abducted the officials to pressure police into releasing Mahar Budhani Jatoi, who was arrested by SHO Zahid Abro from Qambar-Shahdadkot.

“Abro arrested Mahar Budhani from Hira Hospital in Sukkur a few days ago and in a tit-for-tat move the dacoits kidnapped the policemen, including an SHO,” said the source.

The dacoits also took away two LMGs, seven G3 guns, 3 SMGs, and thousands of live rounds besides two motorcycles. Budhani Jatoi carries a head money of Rs5 million, according to a notification issued in December 2022.

A list of 19 cases was mentioned in which Budhani was wanted. A police source said that around a dozen policemen were held hostage in 2022 in similar fashion in upper Sindh.

Meanwhile, Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar while taking serious note of the incident set a three-day deadline for the recovery of kidnapped policemen. He also ordered issuing explanation to the DIG and SSP concerned for their failure to strengthen the police station and secure the police.

Expressing his dismay, he said: “This [incident] shows that the police officers who are in command in the districts have failed to control, deliver and perform.”

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2023