SUKKUR, Nov 27: Police claimed on Monday that they had arrested four most wanted dacoits carrying head money of Rs500,000 each in a massive operation in the Qabil Jagirani village near here, without firing a single bullet.

Sukkur DPO Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh said at a press conference in his office that acting on a tip-off, police arrested Adam Jagirani, Noor Hassan Jagirani, Bhai Khan Jagirani and Mureed Jagirani in a raid on the village. Rohri DSP Shoukat Sangri and ASP Asad Shah headed the raiding party, he said.

He said that Noor Hassan, Bhai Khan and Mureed Jagirani were among five accused of involvement in the murder of a local landlord Inamullah Panhwar a few days ago.

DPO said that he had suggested to the government to announce head money for 10 more dacoits and informed that in all 60 criminals were on the run, 76 were proclaimed offenders and 200 were absconders in the district.

He insisted that police had not bulldozed any house during the operation in the village. The only place police demolished was used by Allah Dino Jagirani, an alleged fence, as a hiding place for stolen motorcycles. He also served as an intermediary between the bike snatchers and owners of vehicles and extorted ransom in return for stolen or snatched vehicles, he said. The only school in the village served as a gambling den and no teacher dared attend it. The hospital was deserted and no doctor was ready to perform duty in the village for fear of the criminals, DPO said.

He said that he would hold open katcheries in the area to solve peoples’ problems and help reopen the school and hospital. People complained in the open katchehries that the criminals used to barge into their homes at gunpoint, rob the inmates and often rape their women, he said, adding that people also told him that they were compelled to leave the area.

Police had set up check-posts in the area and were awaiting permission for establishing a police station. Patrolling had been increased to control street crimes, he said.

He said that there was though no ban on pillion riding still he had directed police to check the suspicious looking pillion riders and asked the owners of taxis and rent-a-bike businesses to keep a copy of NIC and other relevant information about the people who hired taxis or motorcycles.