NAUNDERO: The relatives of the alleged criminal blocked Larkana-Sukkur Highway at Saidu Dero Turn against the police encounter near Naundero early Tuesday morning due to which people coming and going to Sukkur and Larkana were stuck up.
Long rows of vehicles were seen standing on both sides of the road. Most of them who had to reach Larkana turned their vehicle to other rural routes but the same were also blocked by the heirs of the deceased by burning bushes. Later, police reached the spot and forcibly opened the road. The heirs claimed that police have not yet handed over the body and have not released other persons who were taken away in a midnight raid three days ago from Naundero including the deceased.
When the body was handed over to the heirs they staged another sit-in on Bab-e-Zulfiqar in Naundero blocking all traffic to Sukkur, Ratodero and Larkana demanding release of other captured persons, independent inquiry against Larkana police and justice. They also held a large protest by holding the Holy Book in the hands of women and keeping the body of the deceased.
Munwar Kori, Imran Kori, Ashique Khaskheli, Shahzadi Khatoon (mother of the deceased), Misroze, Shahnaz, Irshad Khatoon, Bakhtawar Khatoon and others alleged that cop Ali Dino Memon, his brother Shoukat Memon, Arshad Memon, Sagar Memon were also arrested by police out of whom Shoukat Memon has been fully fried by the police which is cruelty and arrest of others has not been declared.
They said if Shoukat was a dacoit or a criminal he should have been produced in the relevant courts but who has given the authority to police to kill people mercilessly and extra-judicially. They further said that they feared that their other loved ones would also be murdered in a fake encounter which would be brutality. They said that their sit-in will continue till their near and dear ones are not released by the police. The sit-in was continuing till the filing of this report.
During their road blockade SSP Kashmore Irfan Samo was not allowed by the protesters to pass the sit-in and he had to leave. Police gunned down a hardened criminal late last night in an alleged encounter and claimed to have recovered a rifle from his possession. The police statement said that an encounter with bandits took place within the limits of Rahmatpur police station late at night in which one notorious criminal was killed who was identified as Shoukat Memon son of Pathan Kori.
Police said that initial information revealed that the killed bandit was involved in various heinous cases of Hyderabad, Larkana, Karachi and other parts of Sindh which include, robberies, murders, kidnapping for ransom, thefts from homes and other crimes and was an active criminal for 25 years. His further record is being probed, the statement added, which was not disclosed till filing of this report.