SHIKARPUR, March 11: A villager was shot dead and five others received bullet injuries in an encounter with bandits in village Boriri on Sunday night.

A group of six bandits entered the house of Abdul Rehman alias Makoo Sethar and tried to take away his buffaloes.

The villagers resisted on which the bandits opened fire which was returned by the villagers.

In the ensuing encounter, Abdul Rehman, 35, was killed and Nasrullah, Mohammad Ramzan, Zulfiqar Ali, Abdul Majeed and Abdul Khaliq Sethar were injured and later admitted to Shikarpur Civil Hospital.

However the villagers apprehended one of the bandits identified as Singar Jatoi and released the buffaloes.

The Rustam police have registered the case.

Later, the residents of Boriri village blocked road at Rustam Chowk for one hour to protest against the killing of Abdul Rehman and demanded arrest of the culprits.

On the assurances of ASP Shikarpur and DSP Lakhi Ghulam Shah the protesters dispersed.

THAL CANAL: A meeting of Shikarpur District Bar Association through a resolution has opposed Thal canal project and demanded of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to shelve the scheme.