SUKKUR, Aug 31: A four-member team, constituted by the Sindh chief minister to probe into the occurrence of a ditch in the Sukkur Barrage, will submit its report to the government in first half of September.

The inquiry team, comprising additional irrigation secretary Khadim Hussain Memon, former irrigation secretary Muzzamil Hussain Qureshi, Sardar Mughal and Arbab Ali Shah, visited the Sukkur Barrage on Monday.

The team recorded statements of irrigation officials, including Mohammad Moosa Memon, Jan Mohammad Soomro, Ghulam Hussain Leghari, Arshad Khawaja, Salahuddin Abbasi, Gul Mohammad Solangi, Aftab Abro, Qazi Khalid, chief engineer of the Sukkur Barrage, Syed Noor Mohammad Shah and others. Statements of sounding attendants and Daroghas were also recorded.

The team also studied the record from 1999 to 2004 regarding maintenance, sounding and other matters of the barrage. Later, talking to journalists, Mr Shah said they were probing the matter not only to ascertain facts regarding the ditch and fix responsibility on officials concerned but also to know its reasons and ensure precautionary measures.

He said the inquiry had yet not been completed as final statements would be recorded on Sept 6 after which the report would be submitted to the Sindh government.

BODY RECOVERED: The body of Irshad Kaggar, landlord of Lal Bux Kaggar area, was recovered from a well on Tuesday. The landlord was missing for 24 and was believed to have been kidnapped. Police claimed some persons had shot Mr Kaggar dead before throwing his body into the well.