DADU, Feb 12: The district police officer formed an inquiry committee on Thursday to probe murder of a man in fake encounter on Tuesday night but reiterated police’s claim that the man was a hardened criminal who was on his way to rob people when he was killed in the encounter.

He said that SP investigation Khalid Mustafa Korai would be head of the committee and DSP city and DSP investigation would be its members. Action would be taken against the police officials if the enquiry found the encounter fake, he said.

He, however, supported police claim that police chased Aijaz Jamali because he was a hardened criminal. The chase led to the encounter with Aijaz and his accomplices, he added. About arrest of three robbers in the city on Thursday, he said that police arrested the three at Amb Mori after an encounter. They were identified as Mohammad Hanif Panhwar, Sadiq Jamali and Manzoor Panhwar, he said.

He claimed that police found three pistols and one snatched motorcycle in their possession. All the entry points had been sealed to stop criminals’ sneaking into the city, he said.

The investigation committee head SP Korai said that the enquiry would be completed within 14 days.

But the police actions so far failed to satisfy Habibullah Jamali, a notable of Jamali tribe and Aijaz’s relative, who said that police constables involved in Aijaz’s murder had not yet been arrested and the accused nominated in the FIR were still performing duties at Dadu town police station.

He threatened to launch a protest movement against police if the accused were not arrested.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Food and Agricultural Rafique Ahmed Jamali said that justice would be done to the aggrieved party. If the police officials were found guilty they would be punished, he warned.