LARKANA, July 17: As many as 305 rice mills remained closed in the district on Saturday in protest against kidnapping of trader Santosh Kumar.

The Sindh-Balochistan Rice Millers and Traders' Association had given the strike call.

Mr Kumar was kidnapped on July 4 near the Pakho village on the Indus Highway, Kamber Police Station jurisdiction, while he was going to his rice mill in Gaji Khuhawar, Warah taluka.

A spokesman for the association said outlaws had targeted rice millers and traders in Sindh and Balochistan.

Meanwhile, DPO Abdul Sattar Detho was suspended for failing to recover the trader. Nadir Hussain Khoso on Saturday took over the charge as the new DPO.