HYDERABAD, Oct 22: A bandit was shot dead in an encounter with a team of three police stations in Allahdad Chand village within the jurisdiction of the Phuleli police station here on Tuesday evening, police claimed.

However, witnesses said the bandit, Achar Gahoo, had surrendered before the police before being fired upon.

A heavy contingent of the police of Sakhipir, Phuleli and Pinyari police stations had surrounded Allahdad Chand village following a tip-off that Gahoo was present in the village along with his other gang members.

Witnesses said around 30 to 40 police mobiles had encircled the area and an exchange of fire had taken place between the two sides.

The witnesses told Dawn Gahoo, along with Mumtaz Chandio, an activist of the Jeay Sindh Students Federation, Shoaib Chandio and Ejaz, was present in the house of Raheem Detho near the under-construction Dargah of Kamal Shah.

An eyewitness said the gang of Gahoo had first resorted to heavy firing on the police who returned the fire.

The gang members had reportedly entered a house and forced the womenfolk to flee.

The witness said Gahoo had surrendered before the police.

A number of other eyewitnesses told Dawn the police could have arrested Gahoo as he was ready to surrender but the police shot at his leg before being taken away in a police mobile.

Mir Haider Talpur, the president of the Pakistan Tehrik-i- Insaf, Sindh, who arrived in the area to gather details, told Dawn Raheem Detho had approached him through some people of the area and he wanted to surrender before the police.

The doctors who were examining the body of the deceased told that according to police papers he had received six bullets on different parts of his body.

According to the Phuleli police the accomplices of Gahoo had also snatched a motorcycle from Imran in Islamabad Chowk while fleeing.

A police source said four persons, Shahzad, Ali Dino, Soomar and Mohammad Haroon, had been picked up in the area.

The police said Ali was the cousin of the deceased and used to provide him and his gang information about police movement.

Two TT pistols, along with full magazines of bullets, were also recovered from the deceased.