HYDERABAD: Reinforcement was sent to a village in Tando Mohammed Khan late on Monday evening to rescue a police party held hostage by villagers after a 13-year-old youth was shot dead allegedly by a member of the police party.

Initial reports suggested that the police party from Hyderabad was busy in a house-to-house search to recover a kidnapped woman, said to be daughter of a Latifabad hotel-owner.

According to a complaint lodged with the A-Section police of Latifabad, the 19-year-old woman was kidnapped on Jan 29.

The police party sent to Tando Mohammed Khan faced resistance from protesting residents of Sawan Khan Leghari village. At one stage a policeman fired shots into the air to scare away the protesters. However, it was alleged that 13-year-old Hussain Buksh Leghari was killed and another villager was wounded in the firing.

Enraged villagers were holding the police party, led by Zahid Iqbal Chandio, when last reports came in at around midnight.

Tando Mohammed Khan SSP Nasim Panhwar, confirming the death of the villager, said: “Action will be taken against the raiding police party regardless of the fact who was heading it.”

The police officer said a case could also be registered against the police party.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2016