LARKANA: Gangsters riding a motorboat kidnapped son of a fishing contractor along with two accompanying fishermen near Shahani Ferry Point of the Indus River in the Ketti Mumtaz area on Friday.

The kidnappers, believed to be members of ‘Narejo-Kalhoro gang’ took the hostages into the gang-infested riverine area near Madeji town. Sources said that other fishermen present at the site of the incident chased them by several motorboats but failed to catch them. The two sides traded fire during the chase but the kidnappers managed to take the victims into their hideout in the thick Madeji forests of Shikarpur district, the sources said.

Giving details of the incident, locals and police told the media that the armed gangsters struck the ferry point on Thursday night and overpowered Deedar Ali Khakhrani, a son of contractor Mohammed Ali Khakhrani who is a resident of Jahan Khan Khakhrani village, along with two other fishermen,

Sikandar Mirbahar and Suleman Mirbahar, both residents of Naudero.

The gangsters held the victims at gun point and forced them to board their motorboat, which sped away towards the Madeji forest, they said.

According to the Ketti Mumtaz police, the gang wanted ‘protection money’ to be paid to it regularly by the contractor.

Sources in Naudero told the media that the gang was unhappy over awarding of the fishing contract of Shahani Lake to Mohammad Ali Khakhrani.

Locals also criticised the police for their inaction while fishermen were chasing the outlaws on their own.

Ketti Mumtaz SHO Ghulam Raza Ujjan, however, claimed that police along with relatives of the victims were after the kidnappers and would hopefully succeed in recovering the victims soon.

Larkana DIG Nasir Aftab has taken notice of the incident and asked the SSP, Dr Mir Rohal Khan Khoso, to ensure safe recovery of the hostages and arrest the outlaws. He also ordered dispatch of a team of law-enforcers equipped with an armored personnel carrier (APC) into the Madeji forest area.

‘Encounters’ with outlaws

In a series of encounters with outlaws, three suspected criminals were wounded and arrested in different areas of Larkana on Thursday night, a spokesman for the district police said, adding that arms and ammunition were seized from them.

Their criminal records were being traced and verified, he said. All the held suspects were hit in their legs while no policeman was hurt in the encounters.

One of the encounters took place on Gulab Bhutto Road when a patrolling party of the Haidri police station noticed a group of suspected dacoits standing there and challenged them. In the ensuing gun battle, Mumtaz alias Pappu Bhallai Bhutto was wounded and arrested. He is a resident of Gulab Bhutto village, according to the police.

The second encounter took place near Maso Hub village, within the jurisdiction of the Peer Shar police station. Arif alias Aarab Junejo, a resident of Sobh Ji Wandh village of Ratodero town, was wounded and arrested after the clash, the spokesman said.

In yet another alleged encounter, Rasool Bakhsh Dawach, a resident of Sujawal town of Qambar-Shahdadkot district, was wounded and arrested near Gujhar Pathak within the jurisdiction of the Dokri police station.

The police described Dawach as a proclaimed offender, saying that he was wanted by police in over two dozen criminal cases.

About all the three encounters, the police parties concerned claimed that they found the suspect “intending to commit crime”.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024