DADU, June 17: A 16-year-old boy, Ali Gohar Chandio, was killed during an operation carried out by police in the Dano Chandio village on Sunday for people involved in the murder of two Bhand men and a passer-by two days ago.

The boy’s relatives blamed police and Bhand tribesmen for the killing. They alleged that the tribesmen had accompanied police during the operation. The Bhands have blamed Chandio tribesmen for the triple murder. Police insisted that they had not killed the teenager.

The boy’s uncle Latif, father Bagan and relatives Sultan Chandio and Anwar Chandio who led a demonstration outside the DPO office with the dead body charged that police, accompanied by Bhand tribesmen, shot dead Ali Gohar Chandio and snatched away 20 buffaloes during the search operation in their village.

Mr Latif said that police did not conduct any raid on the houses of people involved in the killing of Bhand tribesmen but set on fire 20 houses and arrested 15 innocent villagers.

The protesters demanded registration of FIR against people involved in the boy’s killing. They blockaded the Indus Highway for five hours by torching tyres on the road.

Police used teargas shells and batons to disperse the protesters after they refused to lift the blockade.

Five people were injured and ten demonstrators arrested before police brought the boy’s body to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

SP Investigation Zafar Iqbal Awan said that some Chandio tribesmen had shot dead three people in the city two days ago.

When police arrived in the Dano Chandio village to arrest people involved in the murders, some criminals opened fire on them, he said.