No terrorism connection of Chottu gang found

ISLAMABAD: The military’s investigators have not found any involvement of the Chottu gang in terrorism activities, officials said on Sunday, bursting a bubble that created a hysteria across the Punjab earlier this year.

Rather, both the army and police investigations revealed that Chottu is only one of the many gangsters operating along the 100-mile stretch of River Indus in Punjab and Kashmore in neighbouring Sindh.

“We did not find any link of Chottu with hostile intelligence agencies. We neither found any of his links with Baloch separatist groups nor with any big political party. He is a hardcore criminal, but not a jet-black terrorist,” revealed a top police officer who has been involved in the investigation of Ghulam Rasool alias Chottu.

“With no terrorism record his (Chottu’s) case might not being recommended for military court,” revealed a police officer who was part of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed on direction of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The JIT report, through inspector general police, would be forwarded to the chief minister this month.

Law enforcement agencies’ investigation, also shared with The News, revealed that military in its long investigation did not find solid evidence of Chottu gang’s involvement in unrest of Balochistan. Neither members of this gang had been in contact with proscribed organisations in south Punjab nor they did any plan to sabotage multibillion dollars costly project -- China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), revealed the investigation.

Punjab police registered 96 first information reports (FIRs) against Chottu and investigators said half of them were found genuine so far. This correspondent spoke to some senior officials in Lahore and Rawalpindi on this issue to gather details on this investigation. However, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), when approached for updates on Chottu gang, did not offer any official comment. Police officers, however, told The News that Chottu had been used by politically influential local landowners who were accused of paying off both the police and the bandits to protect their own interests.

A senior regional police officer also revealed that there is more pressing need to keep an eye on remaining gangsters operating along Indus Highway who otherwise are big threat to security of foreigners who will be working on the CPEC’s proposed route to connect north-western China with the Pakistani port of Gwadar.

Dera Ghazi Khan’s divisional police are investigating around 40 top criminals having affiliation with many notorious gangs which operate in small islands surrounded by areas named Kacha Umrani, Bakhrani, Changwani, Kajlani, Kacha Jamal, Kacha More and Kacha Shah Wali. The Chottu gang generally sought refuge in the 40 kilometre dense forest area by the Indus River in Rajanpur where the gangsters had been securing themselves in a 10km land strip at Kacha Jamal. Around 16 criminals of Chottu gang are in various jails of Dera Ghazi Khan, investigators said. Those who are under investigation in various murder cases are: Ghulam Rasool alias Chottu, Bhola Bakhrani, Bashir Bakhrani, Razzaq Bakhrani, Rasheed Bakhrani, Din Bakhrani, Nazar Ali Bakhrani, Behram Ahmed, Mahi Khan, Haider Bakhrani, Ishaq Changwani, Akram Eindhar, Boota Bakhrani, Majeed Bhatti and Khalid Gajlani. They all are crime partners with Chottu and accordingly were investigated by the military, senior police officers told The News.

“Kacha once remained a safe haven for all kinds of gangsters -- but people found relief after destruction of these gangs, Chottu in particular,” commented Captain (R) Atta who also headed JIT in this case. Additional Inspector General Police Arif Nawaz also confirmed to The News that “Chottu is not a terrorist -- this is what investigation suggested so far.” He also revealed that Chottu had no link with Indian premier spy agency -- RAW and they also did not find his nexus with Baloch Liberation Army and Baloch Liberation Front. Investigators, however, revealed that they are still investigating that either Chottu had been committing crimes with support of local politicians belonging to Gorchani, Mazari, Leghari or any other tribe in the area. “We are also still investigating Chottu gang for its involvement in serious crimes in bordering areas of Sindh and Baluchistan where gangsters executed murders, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and theft, also in inter-districts like Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Hasilpur, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur,” he said.

The investigation further revealed that Chottu had committed some 11 murders in Rajanpur, two murders each in Rahim Yar Khan and Muzaffargarh and one in Ghotki, Sindh. More than two dozen FIRs have been registered against him in Rahim Yar Khan while over a dozen FIRs have been registered against him in Sindh at various police stations. 

First FIR was registered against Chottu in 1987 at Bhong Police Station in Rahim Yar Khan and the latest FIR was registered against him under section 302/324/395/353/186/148/149PPC-7-ATA ¾ EXP in Rajanpur before he with his partners surrendered before the military. The JIT also recommend empowering police operating in these areas, equipping personnel with moderate weapons to deal with such gangsters.

 —Originally published in The News