LARKANA, Nov22: An alleged bandit, Meer Chandio, died in the Naudero police station late on Tuesday night.

He had been injured in an encounter between police and a group of bandits near ‘Moria Faqeer link road, 20 kilometres off here.

Three members of the gang had been killed in the encounter. They have been identified as Fayyaz Chandio, Imdad Chandio and Altaf Chandio in the encounter.

Police claimed to have recovered three Kalashnikovs, a 303 rifle and a huge quantity of live bullets from their possession.

Ms Zubaida, mother of Fayyaz Chandio, visited Naudero police station on Wednesday and received bodies of the four alleged bandits.

She, along with Ms Bano, accused the police of killing labourers after branding them bandits. The DIG Larkana, Akhtar Hussain Gorchani, however told newsmen in Naudero that those killed were bandits.

The relatives of the alleged bandits said that due to their enmity with Metlo community, they had shifted from Ahmedpur (Khairpuir district) and settled in the Samtia village (Larkana).

The Regional Police Officer, Sukkur, visited the site of the encounter on Wednesday.

The SHO Naudero said that Fayyaz Chandio and Imdad Chandio were nominated in a number of cases registered with the Tando Masti, Shahdadkot and other police stations in Larkana and Khairpur districts. However police had yet to find cases against Altaf Chandio and Meer Chandio, sources said.

Meanwhile, the in-charge of Mujahid-II police group, Abdul Qadir Chandio, had registered an FIR against Aslam Chandio, who fled during the encounter and four dead bandits with Naudero police station under section 353, 402, 324, 148 and 149 PPC. Police had rounded up 13 people on charges of providing shelter and food to bandits.

They included, Serai Safar Mohal, Qalandar Bakhsh, Sabit Ali, Ramzan Mirani, Ramzan, Akhtair, Mukhtiar and were lodged at the Naduero police station. Police had withdrawn six service rifles from the arrested villagers.

These villagers were given these arms for self-protection after bandits had struck their village in 1991 and killed six people. “We are sandwiched between police and bandits , while residing in kutcha area,” Serai Safar Mohal told newsmen in Naudero.