OKARA, July 20: Villagers came to the rescue of a girl who was being handed over to some gamblers by her father on Tuesday at Phokarwan Kamboh village, Deepalpur.

Reports said Allah Ditta of 20/GD lost Rs160,000 in gambling a month ago. On knowing her husband's defeat, Bashiran took her daughter Sakina Bibi, 14, to the house of her son-in-law at Phokarwan Kamboh.

After some time when Allah Ditta could not pay the amount, the winners sought custody of his daughter. Allah Ditta along with accomplices Akhtar, Yaqoob, Shakoor and Abbas forcibly picked up his daughter and bundled her into a car.

On raising a hue and cry by the girl, the villagers assembled there and stopped the gamblers from taking her away. The accused had already handed over his two daughters to gamblers. Sadar Deepalpur police have registered a case.

KILLED: An elderly woman was run over and killed by a donkey-cart here on Tuesday. Reports said Sabran Bibi w/o Bashir Ahmad was crossing the road to fetch potable water when the donkey-cart driven by Ramzan and Shoban hit her. She died on way to hospital.

Hujra Shah Muqeem police have registered a case. A proclaimed offender, Iftikhar, shot dead a villager, Mumtaz Hussain, of Ram Zakihra on suspicion of being a police informer.

TAKEN AWAY: A college professor, Talib Hussain, was deprived of his bike (OKA-9435) by dacoits outside the tehsil council office.