LARKANA: Five cops who were kidnapped from a police station in Shikarpur last week were finally rescued from the captivity of the Baddani Jatoi gang on Tuesday after a joint operation by the Rangers and police. Among the rescued policemen were an SHO and his son.

The five were kidnapped from the Kot Shahu police station on Oct 11 and taken to a Katcha area. Previous attempts by law enforcement agencies to rescue them were in vain.

The abductees were identified as SHO Mehboob Brohi, his son Mohammad Ali [an under-training cop], Head Constable Naeem Gopang, and constables Jan Mohammad Bakhrani and Ayaz Kumbhar. Police claimed to have recovered all the weapons as well.

Police had summoned commandos from the entire Larkana range and also deployed armoured personnel carriers along Katcha areas for the operation, a spokesman said.

“The DSP City (Shikarpur), DSP Lakhi and several SHOs took part in the operation,” a press release said.

It was silent on whether any exchange of fire had taken police.

The caretaker Sindh chief minister had ordered police to ensure recovery of the policemen within three days, the press release added.

According to a spokesman, police had tried to secure the abductees’ release through negotiations, but the kidnappers spurned all such attempts.

The dacoits had carried out the kidnapping so that they could pressure police into releasing one of their accomplices, Mahar alias Mehram Baddani, the spokesman added.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2023