Gangsters aimed at committing the crime in one go to destabilise Larkana police and shatter government contractors confidence busy with development work. APP (file) photo

LARKANA Larkana police have busted a gang and foiled its plan to kidnap important persons, traders, contractors, hotel owners from Larkana.

Talking to journalists here on Monday the District Police Officer Larkana, Irfan Baloch, said that a multi-millionaire Mir Shaikh, son of late Muhammed Ali Shaikh, the owner of many petrol outlets was the mastermind of the whole episode that later developed links with the dacoits and top criminals from Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot district. The 'autaq' of Shaikh was used as the hub of the plan in the heart of the city.

He, in association of a notorious harbourer of criminals Mashooque Mughairi, the key character behind the kidnapping and killing of a trader Ali Raza Saryo from Badah town a month ago, formed the gang with Qurban Chandio, Akhtar Mithani, Rafique alias Bago Jagirani, Sajjan Shaikh and Abdul Razzak Shaikh at different locations in the district.

They had set a plan to kidnap Gada Hussain Mahisar, a leading rice miller and vice president of Sindh Abadgar Board, Jawed Shaikh, a big contractor of National Highway Authority, Khalid alias Zahid Jatoi, a contractor and son of the owner of Sapna Hotel, Kanayya Lal, the owner of K.K.Oil Mills Larkana, Dr Akhtiar Mangi of Ratodero and many others, the DPO said.

They had focused on committing crime in one go so as to destabilise Larkana police and the district government and shattering government contractors confidence, who were busy doing the major development work on the River Indus, its approach roads, Larkana-Sukkur road, Larkana-Mohenjodaro road. We planted Khalid alias Zahid Jatoi as decoy, the DPO said.

Travelling in a car on Larkana-Mirokhan road when Jatoi arrived near village 'Thoof Chusool' the gangers surrounded him to kidnap, but the police in his (DPO's) command travelling along in private vehicles immediately overpowered Qurban Jatoi and Akhtar Mithani and arrested them.

As police grilled them, they disclosed the names of other gang members residing in Larkana city in a rented house in Muradwahan locality. We raided that house and arrested Rafique alias Bago Jagirani son of Farooque Jagirani, the naib nazim of Jeean Abro union council in Qambar, Sajjan Shaikh and Abdul Razzak Shaikh, the DPO said.

He said Mashooque Mughairi, who was involved in kidnapping of Dr Kolachi, the Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Dadu, whom they released after getting Rs 0.6 million and a car in ransom, had skipped from the trap as he had sensed the police plan, the DPO said. Finally we laid hands on Mir Shaikh, the owner of a range of petrol pumps and some rice mills, he said.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police Larkana Sanaullah Abbasi told Dawn that police had worked very minutely to frustrate the gang's evil designs. 'God saved us from a big disaster' said the DIG. He said he had recommended the name of DPO Larkana and two policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector of police, for the Pakistan Police Medal.

The cases against the gangsters were registered with Arija and Dari police stations. Meanwhile, all the six arrested criminals were produced in the Anti- Terrorists Court and where police sought a seven days remand, the Superintendent of Police Larkana, Masroor Jatoi said.

 

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