KARACHI, April 5: The police on Tuesday shot dead a close aid of the notorious Rehman Dakait after a brief shootout in Lyari. The police raided Afshani Gali on a tip off early in the morning that Rehman Dakait, with his close aides was present. The police cordoned off the area to arrest the ring-leader of the notorious gang. Sensing danger, the gang members attacked the police which led to an exchange of fire. As a result, a man was killed and a Kalashnikov was recovered from him. He was later identified as Sharif Keechu, a close aide of Rehman Dakait. However, Rehman with his members escaped taking advantage of the narrow lanes, a police officer said.

Keechu was wanted in 27 criminal cases registered at Kalakot police station besides five others in different police stations. Keechu was allegedly involved in murders, attacks on police, firing, etc, police said.

Rehman Dakait, Rahim Kana, Shahzad, Faisal, Noor Mohammad Ladla, Sikandar Sikku, Tahir Lamba, and others fled the scene and raids were being conducted for their arrests.

Two Chandio brothers were killed on Jan 18 when a police party of the Anti-Violence Crime Cell (AVCC) raided a shop in Gizri on information that Sharif Keechu was present there. The police party opened fire killing the two brothers Shakeel Chandio and Fareed Chandio. Two policemen also lost their lives as the police alleged that it was an encounter. The two brothers were innocent as there was no case against them in any of the police stations, the police said.

BODY FOUND: Bullet-riddled body of a youth was found in a cemetery in Mochko police limits on Tuesday morning.

Police said they found the body and shifted it to a hospital for autopsy. A report was lodged with the Pirabad police that Naeem, 19, had gone missing a day earlier. His family members were called in, who recognized him as Naeem alias Baba. Police believed that Naeem had been kidnapped, subjected to severe torture, and taken to the graveyard in Gulshan-i-Ghazi where he was shot a bullet to his head.