THATTA, April 30: Police on Saturday suspended the search operation after five-day efforts in Khaddi and Jurar forests along the left bank of the Indus River to arrest bandit Fida Mirjat. DPO Akbar Sanjrani said police force comprising two DSPs and several SHOs entered forests to arrest the bandit and his gang members operating for the last two years in the area.

The gang of Fida Mirjat and his five accomplices Mehboob Mari, Hakim Mari, Anwar Bugti and Ramzan Khoso had set ablaze tractor of a union council Naib Nazim, Shah Jehan Banehpoto, and had clashed with police and threatened villagers to pay extortion money on a regular basis.

RPO Bachal Sangri suspended Bannu SHO Ghulam Qadir Chang and Daro SHO Noor Hassan Khushik on charge of negligence, served them show cause notices and ordered them to report at the RPO office.

To curb brutal activities and nab bandits in katcha area, Thatta police with the help of the RPO of Hyderabad launched an anti-dacoit operation.

After week-long efforts by police, none of the bandit could be arrested.

On Friday, two cases of intervention in duties and setting ablaze a tractor were registered with the Bannu police against the bandits.

RPO Bachal Sangri while winding up police operation had ordered to set up police posts at inlets and outlets of the katcha area forests to avoid any untoward eventuality.

It may be recalled that different groups of bandits operating in Thatta forests had kidnapped some businessmen and other people from the Sujawal taluka and Chohar Jamali and Thatta during the last three years and were released after payment of ransom.