THATTA, March 10: The Thatta police, following the arrest of a notorious bandit, Kamal Faqir Shaikh, have intensified patrolling along the coastline and plugged exit points leading to Karachi.

The action has been taken to avert possible escape of other criminals who are believed to have taken refuge in Thatta district after committing crime in other areas of the province, particularly upper Sindh.

The DPO, Thatta, Nadir Hussain Khoso, told this correspondent that a data of those non-local families, which had settled in the district during the last decade, was being prepared.

Thatta is frequently used by the bandits of upper Sindh as the area to settle in.

Before the arrest of Shaikh, who carried Rs1.5 million head money, the Thatta police had earlier arrested or killed other notorious bandits, including Phul Machhi, Nooro Machhi, Nazro Narejo and Bahawal Deshak.

The outlaws, impersonating as peasants of local landlords, resided at different agricultural farms located mainly along the coastline.

Shaikh, with his extended family, also resided near the coastal town of Mirpur Sakro for last 10 years and cultivated his 12 acres of land.

Posing as members of Magsi tribe, the children received primary education and the adults were enlisted as voters and cast votes in the general elections.

Shaikh, known as Faqeero Magsi in this area, was involved in 56 cases of heinous crimes, including kidnapping of six Japanese tourists and 66 bus passengers for ransom and killing seven police personnel.

Talking to this correspondent at the Thatta police station lock-up, Shaikh said that for last three years, he had committed no crime.

People’s Party Parliamentarians MPA Dr Sassui Palijo said that criminals were being harboured by the local landlords, a majority of whom enjoyed patronage of an influential political group.

She said that the harbourers of outlaws should be arrested if the police was really sincere in discouraging bandits from taking shelter in the district.

accident: Twelve persons were injured, three of them critically, as a Mirpur Bathoro-bound bus plunged into a ditch near Kapoor Mori on Monday.

Those injured included Dada Khwaja and Raheem Khatti. Names of others could not be immediately ascertained.

The bus was coming from Tando Mohammad Khan, where its occupants had gone to attend a Muharram Majlis.

Witnesses said that the bus went out of control of its driver when he was negotiating a turn and plunged into a ditch.

Those seriously injured were shifted to the Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad, and others were relieved after getting first aid.