ATC Multan frees Chotu Gang leader over benefit of doubt

MULTAN: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has on Friday set freed Ghulam Rasool alias ‘chotu’, a main suspect of ‘Chotu Gang’ along with his four other companions, ARY News reported.

Ghulam Rasool along with her accomplice were held over charges of firing upon police, recovery of explosives material including rocket launchers from their custody.

The suspects were declared innocent and were freed over benefit of doubt by the ATC judge Masood Arshad in a case registered at Rajanpur Police Station, Mazari goth in 2009.

Earlier in March, at least 20 gangsters including those affiliated with infamous Chotu gang were awarded death sentence by the anti-terrorism court Multan on charges of killing policemen in 2016.

Police had sought help of Army and Rangers on April 13, 2016, in the fight against Chotu Gang in Rajanpur district following deaths of six policemen including a station house officer (SHO).

The river forests in Sindh and southern belt of Punjab have remained a hotbed of bandit gangs involved in kidnappings and other crimes on both banks of the Indus River.

The areas are inaccessible and virtually remained a no-go area for police and other law enforcement agencies – thus an ideal refuge for the outlaws operating in the region.