SUKKUR, Aug 12: The Pano Aqil police on Monday arrested 50 persons in connection with the kidnapping of a dates dealer and registered a case against them.

The dates dealer, Zawar Shaikh, was kidnapped by some armed persons in Hingoro on Sunday.

The arrests were made following a protest by area people who held a demonstration and staged a sit-in on the National Highway near Pano Aqil, demanding recovery of Mr Shaikh.

However, villagers said the police had arrested innocent people to conceal their failure to recover the kidnapped dealer.