Twelve police personnel have been booked for alleged negligence in the escape of two wanted bandits from a court in Ghotki district, police said.
The case was registered at Ubauro police station on behalf of the state following the escape of bandits Raheb Shar and Morio Shar from the Ubauro Civil Court a day earlier, according to police.
Police said the two men had appeared before the court when they managed to flee.
Raheb Shar had a bounty of Rs5 million on his head, indicating that authorities had declared a financial reward for information leading to his capture.
The case against the 12 police personnel was registered over alleged negligence in their responsibility for the custody and security of the two accused, police said.
No further details about the specific allegations against individual personnel were provided.
Following the escape, police also launched a night-time operation in the riverine area, locally known as the katcha, to track down and arrest the fugitives, according to police.
The operation was carried out in the katcha area along the Indus River, where police faced difficulties because parts of the area were inundated with water, officials said. The challenging terrain and waterlogged areas hampered movement during the operation.
The escape occurred while the two bandits were being brought to court proceedings in Ubauro.
The development comes amid continued police operations against criminal gangs operating in the riverine areas of upper Sindh. However, no further information about the wider operation or any arrests was immediately available.
