SANGHAR, Sept 24: A well-known Hindu doctor of Khipro town, Wasdev Mal, and his friend Sheevo Mal were kidnapped near the Tagoosar area late on Sunday night.

The rented car they were travelling in was found abandoned near Jhol, 15 kilometres from here, on Monday.

Khipro town is 40 kms from Sanghar.

The two friends were returning to Khipro from Hyderabad when the car was stopped by a gang of armed men near Tagoosar village, 20 kms from Khipro. They kidnapped them and hijacked the car but threw the driver, Iqbal Hingoro, after covering some distance with his hands and feet tied up.

“Police have not yet found any clues to the kidnappers although they have conducted raids on a number of hideouts,” DSP Younis Baloch told Dawn over the phone.

Meanwhile, a large number of Khipro townspeople took out a procession in protest against the kidnapping of the doctor and his friend and criticised police for their failure to curb crime. The procession marched to Shaheed Chowk where the protesters held a demonstration.

Concerned residents Pir Bux Rajar, Zaheer Sheikh and Juman Kumbhar who led the protest told journalists that crime rate had jumped to an alarming level in the town and its adjoining areas.

Just a few days ago, a car owned by a medical superintendent was snatched at the same place while two Qureshi brothers were also kidnapped there before that, they said.

Local leaders of the JSQM-Arisar issued an ultimatum to police to recover the hostages within 48 hours. JSQM-A leader Dr Meer Alam Mari said at a press conference the abduction was an instance of general maltreatment and injustices meted out to Hindus.

He said that if the two Hindus were not recovered soon, a shutter-down strike would be observed in Khipro on Sept 27.

Mirpurkhas-Khipro road near Tagooser village has become a dangerous spot.

The section of the road has potholes, forcing motorists to slow down their vehicles and become an easy prey for criminals hiding in nearby bushes.