NAWABSHAH: Shaheed Benazirabad police on Monday claimed to have killed Khairu Bhatti a dacoit carrying a head money of Rs5 million announced by the Sindh government during a fierce battle on the outskirts of Nawabshah city. They said the suspect and his gang were involved in dozens of cases of kidnapping for ransom, one of the victims being DIG Bashir Memon`s nephew.

Shaheed Benazirabad DIG Farhat Junejo, along with Nawabshah SSP Tanveer Tunio, told a press conference in his office that a joint team headed SSP Tunio and CIA official in charge Mubeen Parhyar rushed to the specified place within the jurisdiction of the taluka police station upon receiving information about the presence of the gang.

He said that raiding party surrounded the area and challenged the gangsters which triggered a fierce gun battle that continued for about 40 minutes.

`After the battle, Khairu Bhatti was found dead but his five gang members managed to escape,` the DIG said.

He said the cases registered against Bhatti, along with other members of his gang, pertained to kidnapping for ransom, murder, highway robbery and other heinous crimes committed in various parts of Sindh and Balochistan. He Bhatti was a resident of Jaagan village of Shikarpur district but he and his gang mainly operated in Sakrand and Matiari districts.

He claimed that the gang had links with the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army.

The DIG announced a Rs200,000 reward and recommended to the IGP for another Rs500,000 reward for the joint police-CIA party.

Bhatti`s body was brought to Peoples Medical University Hospital, Nawabshah, for a post-mortem examination.

An FIR of the encounter was yet to be registered.