HYDERABAD, March 31: A man exposed his life to great danger as he challenged a band of alleged bandits and injured three of them when they tried to rob him at a restaurant in the limits of Cantonment police station near Defence Plaza late on Wednesday night.

Two of the injured died on way to hospital and the third managed to escape.

Another man who was stopped by the same robbers when he got out of the eatery also suffered injuries in the shootout.

Hyderabad DPO Farid Jan Sirhandi confirmed that the three bandits were wanted by police in a number of armed robberies.

They tried to rob Saifur Rehman, popularly known as Saiffu Manda, who was sitting at the eatery. In the meantime, Sikandar Ali Solangi walked out of the eatery and the gang also stopped him.

Manda grabbed the opportunity when the gang's attention was diverted to Solangi for a few seconds and lunged to his car to get hold of his weapon, he said.

“Manda and Solangi were fired upon by bandits. Manda hid behind his car and returned the fire, hitting the three bandits,” said Cantonment investigating police officer, Shahid Ejaz Shaikh.

The third accomplice who also suffered injuries but managed to flee was identified as Muzaffar Mirjat of Allah Dad Chand village when his brother, Mushtaq, reached the hospital and inquired about whether his brother was also killed in the incident.

Eyewitnesses said that DPO's squad was passing through the area when the incident took place and took the injured to civil hospital where two bandits were pronounced dead.

They were identified as Ghulam Hyder Nondhani and Javed Awan alias Nikka, both residents of Allah Dad Chand goth.

Police have lodged three separate cases against the bandits. They had also robbed Murtaza Samoon and Aijaz Abro, batman of a law enforcing agency, of Rs22,000 cash and cell phones in the limits of Makki Shah police station. Abro's wallet was found in the pocket of a bandit.

According to a stated issued by police, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza has announced Rs100,000 cash for Saifur Rehman.

The statement said that the same bandits robbed one Rashid Veesar and his family in the limits of GOR police station near a food outlet when they were going to Qasimabad on a motorcycle. An FIR (25/11) was lodged on Veesar's complaint.

Police claimed that the dead bandits were involved in 36 crimes lodged at different police stations. They had also killed one Shaiq Mughal in Effendi Town after snatching his motorcycle.