LARKANA, March 14: Operation against dacoits in the Kutcha area by Larkana police in fact is aimed at crushing the peasants belonging to Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.

This was alleged by the Sindh National Front (SNF) through a statement issued by its media cell on Wednesday. According to the cell in-charge, Ibrahim Abro, brutality of the police had gone beyond the endurance of poor people as not only their houses were encircled, these were burnt to ashes.

Recalling the continuity in police action against haris of the SNF chief, he reminded that lately a peasant and his two female relative were arrested and the DPO still was facing cases registered against him by some peasants.

He said that the police was deliberately avoiding arresting the bandits who had permanent abodes in Sharifpur forest in contradiction to the lighting action they had taken against the innocent haris. He accused the police of keeping contact with the dacoits.

The SNF may have to knock doors of the court if the harassment of haris continued, the media cell in-charge warned.

The version of Larkana police is in opposition to the SNF allegations as according to them, they with the help of Qambar-Shahdadkot police launched an `extensive’ anti-dacoit operation in Ketty Mumtaz and Sharifpur forests on Wednesday. The police, however, conceded of an `unproductive exercise.’

The DPO Larkana, Azim Tunio claimed that the police had torched the hideouts of bandits Mubeen Narijo, Sadoo Narejo, Piyaro Narejo and Budho Sarki. They had burnt some kutcha houses in the forest, sources said. The action was taken on receiving information of dacoits’ presence but they sensing danger made good their escape, according to police.

There was crossfire between dacoits and the police but without any substantial results, the sources concluded.