KARACHI, Jan 8: Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court on Saturday sent seven bandits to jail while directing the investigation officer to submit challans against them on January 15, 2005 in a police encounter and explosive substance case.

The IO sought further police remand of the accused till January 17, but the request was turned down by Justice Muslim, who is also the administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi.

Iftekhar, Khalilur Rehman, Sajjad Ahmed, Fareed, Mohammad Ali and Babar, stated to be members of the gang of the notorious, Rehman Dakait, were produced before the court. Police arrested them after a shootout on January 3 in the Kalakot area in Lyari.

In the said encounter, Shahnawaz alias Shani, a close associate of Rehman Dakait, was killed, while another accomplice, Nazeer Balla, was injured. The injured was admitted to hospital.

Two policemen including SHO Kalakot Shaukat Ali Shahani and Head Constable Manzoor Hasan also suffered bullet wounds in the said encounter.

A police party, on learning that members of Rehman Dakait were present in a factory area for getting extortion from a businessman, reached the spot. An encounter tool place in which one gangster was killed, another injured and six were arrested. Seven TT pistols, grenades, a kalashnikov, and ammunition were recovered from the accused. - PPI