HYDERABAD, July 27: Seven people, including two women, were shot dead by a man in Pariyo Behan Goth, some 95km away from here, in the wee hours of Sunday.

The New Saeedabad police said that the assailant, Shahzado Behan, gunned down the seven people to avenge their lodging of a case.

The names of the dead are: Mohammad Rahim alias Peer Dino, 35; Esso Behan, 26; Gul Jan Himmat, 20; Ghulam Mustafa Himmat; Eedal Himmat, 18; Mitho Bux and Ali Gul Bux.

The SHO, New Saeedabad police station, Mohammad Raheem Khoso, told this correspondent that a case under sections 109 and 302 PPC had been lodged on the complaint of Ali Nawaz Behan, who is the uncle of two of the people killed.

Police said that the accused had recently been released from jail as he was facing trial in a case lodged with the New Saeedabad police station on July 20, 2002, for the rape of the sister of Mitho and Ali.

Five people were killed while sleeping in Mohammad Raheem’s house and two others, who were outside the house, were killed as they headed towards it after hearing the gunshots.

Mohammad Raheem was the brother-in-law of Shahzado, while the others were his cousins.

Police said that Shahzado had been arrested and a gun and 10 cartridges seized from him.

Police said that after being released from jail, the accused had not been attending the court and was threatening his cousins.

The bodies were sent to the New Saeedabad hospital for postmortem.