HYDERABAD, June 5: The Kotri police on Wednesday arrested a hardened criminal, who is reported to be the prime suspect in the kidnapping of Surgeon Mohammed Hussain Leghari.

At a press conference, the DPO, Dadu, Capt Tahir Naveed, and the SP, Kotri, Sharjil Karim Kharal, told journalists that the SHO, Kotri police station, Mohammed Yaqoob Buroro stopped a car in the wee hours of Wednesday. Four people got out of the car. However, as three managed to flee only one was arrested, who was identified as Qalandar Bux Khoso alias Qalandaro Mama. A car (ADK-793), a pistol, and five live bullets were seized from him. The car was snatched in the limits of the Darkshah police station the same week.

Reports said that the Kotri police had arrested Khoso in somewhat dramatic circumstances last week. He was moving towards Kotri in a silver car (ADK-793) he had snatched from the Sea View, Karachi. Police alongwith the ETO, Javed Leghari, stopped him at the by-pass. He opened fire on them and managed to escape.

In the meantime, the DSP, Amri Dastagir Chandio chased him. Khoso had left his car at a distance of one-and-a-half kilometres from Karachi Wah and on getting near it he immediately jumped into it.

The ASI, Imtiaz Thebo, at the Khanpur link road police post of Kotri, stopped a rickshaw Khoso was travelling in for routine search. The ASI arrested him and took him to the Kotri police station.

Khoso had been involved in three cases of kidnapping till 1995. He was good at car snatching, which he usually did in Karachi.

SP Kharal said that more than 34 cases were registered against him in Dadu District alone.

He, however, said that it would be too early to say whether Khoso was involved in Leghari’s kidnapping.