SUKKUR: The bodies of a dreaded dacoit and his associate were handed over to their heirs by police in lieu of the release of two kidnap victims, it was learnt on Sunday.
Sharif Bhangwar, the ringleader of his dreaded gang who carried Rs5 million head-money, was killed along with his cousin and associate, Abdul Wahab Bhangwar, in an encounter with police a couple of days back at a section of Indus Highway. The bodies were kept at Kandhkot Civil Hospital under police custody.
Some women belonging to the dacoits’ families were demanding the bodies handed over to them but the are police were reluctant. However, on Sunday, they struck a deal with the heirs under which the gang agreed to set free two persons held hostage by it for ransom.
The hostages, Ghulam Rasool Mirani (who was kidnaped some 50 days ago) and Yaseen Golo alias Shalo (who remained in the gang’s custody for 24 days) were reported to have been set free and handed over to the Kandhkot police. Eventually, the dacoits’ families were allowed to take away the bodies.
It was pertinent to mention here that a day before the Dec 30 encounter, a large number of people had held a demonstration and sit-in in front of the Kandhkot SSP’s office for the recovery of Ghulam Rasool Mirani and other kidnapped persons from the clutches of the Sharif-led gang.
Sharif had taken over the gang in September last after its ringleader, Sultan Shar alias Saltoo was killed in an encounter. The Sharif-led gang recently killed five policemen in Ghotki’s katcha area to avenge Saltoo’s killing. After Saltoo, Sharif also became a symbol of terror in upper Sindh and Rahim Yar Khan as he maintained his predecessor’s killing and kidnap spree, besides carrying on the gang’s routine criminal activities that included highway robberies and looting people.
On Dec 30, Sharif and his gangsters were looting commuters near the Zor Garh bus stop and, according to police, tried to stop a truck but its driver, sensing danger, sped away upon which the gangster opened fire on the vehicle. The driver, Mujahid Pathan, received bullets in his leg.
A police team patrolling in the area rushed to the site after receiving the information but as soon as it came close to the gangsters, it came under fire, which was returned, the area police said.
The encounter resulted in the killing of Sharif Bhangwar and Abdul Wahab Bhangwar, they said, adding that other gangsters managed to escape.
Published in Dawn, january 2th, 2023
