August 27, 2008	Wednesday	Sha'aban 24, 1429

HYDERABAD, Aug 26: The Supervising Police Officer (SPO) of Baldia, Sikandar Bhatti, who was conducting investigation into Rs15.2 million robbery and was instrumental in arresting two main culprits of the case, has been removed from his post under orders of the Hyderabad RPO following a dispute involving a PPP-backed union council nazim.

Bhatti was asked to leave the charge on Tuesday which he did following a wireless message for him, a source said. His removal followed an attempted murder case lodged at Bhitai Nagar police station against Qasimabad UC-2 Nazim Mehboob Abro and two of his associates, Kashan Memon and Mohammad Deen Chang, under sections 324 Qisas and Diyat Ordinance on the complaint of Niaz Mohammad Khaskheli.

Niaz Mohammad Khaskheli is the brother of Irshad Khaskheli, who belonged to PPP-SB and was fired upon allegedly by the UC Nazim and his associates in the jurisdiction of Bhittai Nagar police station on August 22. He is said to be running cable system in Al-Mustafa town. A dispute existed between him and Mehboob Abro, who is also running a cable system in Qasimabad and claimed to have sent complaints that he was being deprived of his business by some hoodlums, who claimed their association with PPP-SB.

Abro’s associate Kashan Memon had lodged a case against Irshad Khaskheli as a result of the same dispute vide crime no 163/08. Abro claimed that he was fired upon by Irshad Khaskheli who was hit by his own bullet while attacking him. He said that he had taken up the mater with the PPP-SB as well.

Police source said that Bhatti had left for Multan the same day when the incident occurred to chase remaining culprits involved in the Rs15.2 million robbery of main MCB Gari Khata Branch. “He was quite instrumental in investigation of MCB dacoity”, source added.