Page 469 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

11.

Sartip Bha’rl wo.3 a capable officer but his im­
portunity in the ca so of Khan Sahib Idu Khan of the Rekls
in Juno and his 1 failure * to round up Murad Ali Murad in
AugU3t caused a grea t deal of unfavourable public comment
which wa3 fully Justified, and resulted in his suspension
a nd removal.
fttaff Officer.
Sarhang Alikai was Staff Officer to the General
Officer Commanding until the end of September when he pro-
-coeded to Tehran on three months leave. Sargod Wazargar
officiated in his a bsence.
Chief Medical Officer.
Sarhang Owhadl was Chief Medical Officer throughout
the year. He is a very honest, friendly officer of n a
strongly philosophical turn of mind and does not indulge in
intrigues or politics.
VII. SECURITY.
lie hold-ups occurred on the Kerman-Bam road which
wa s the scene of so many armed robberies during the previous
six months. Disturbed areas were south of Kerman, on the
Bandar A bbas-SirJan road. Early in the year Mohammad Mukhtar,
the father in law of Murad Ali Murad, was tried by a military
court and publicly hanged with another Buchakchi. Murad Ali
shortly a fter organised a reprisal raid on a Sirjan village
as evidence of his contempt for the military authorities. He
himself was operating due south of Yezd near Liarvas at the
time and the gendarmerie were reported to have taken strong
measures to prevent his access to the Kerman-Yezd road but
they eventually succumbed to bribes by the bandits who were
given a free hand for some time. Early in the year Colonel
Schv/artzkopf, the American Adviser to the Gendarmerie, sent his
very able assistant Colonel McLaughlin to Kerman to enquire
into the causes of the prevailing lawlessness in these areas
and to reorganise the Gendarmerie. He cade contact with Kus-
-sain Khan Euchakchi and it was agreed that if he would under-
-take to control the lawless elements in his tribal area and
a ssist in pursuing and capturing Murad Ali he would receive
the loan of 10 Government rifles. Ten Buchakchis outlaws
shortly after surrendered their tides to the military author­
ities under pressure from their Chief. Major McLaughlin*s
visit was not without results as in the succeeding weeks the
Gendarmerie rounded up 45 bandits, several rifles and some
ammunition and proudly published a statement to that effect.
Towards the end of May it was suspected that Murad Ali*s
robber gangs were responsible for the insecurity south and
south west of Yezd and also in close proximity to the Town
ifiself where there was an alarming increase of burglaries.
It wa s common knowledge that the Gendarmerie were conniving
at these robberies and in many cases committing burglaries
themselves. A month la. ter the military authorities who were
harrying him in Fars compelled Murad Ali to leave this area
a nd he appeared later in the neighbourhood of Bardsir with
a bout 70 a rmed followers and asked the military authorities
in Sirjan through an intermediary, for a Government pardon.
Sarhang Sha*ri, the G.O.C., with Sarhang Goodarzi, Officer
Chcmandlrg Gendarmerie, %left hurriedly for Sirjan to meet Murad
Ali and discuss the terms of amnesty. On their arrival in
Sirjan Murad Ali sent a oesse^cor to the 0.0.C. with the fol-
- lowing demands:- that he be supplied with 15 Government

12./-