HYDERABAD, Nov 13: The situation in Petaro became tense on Tuesday following the death of an elderly man, Safar Khaskheli, who suffered a heart stroke on Monday night because of being harassed and intimidated by the Petaro College administration.

It may be recalled that a dispute was going on over a piece of land between the college administration and the villagers of Goth Jam Suleman Samoon, Goth Safar Khaskheli, Goth Mehram Khaskheli, and Goth Mallah.

The college administration claims to have purchased at least 300 acres of land adjacent to the college. However, the villagers have disputed the claim.

A few days back, the college administration secured the land by raising a barbed-wire fence around its boundaries, which led to a protest demonstration by the villagers.

According to Ghulam Nabi Samoon, a councillor of Union Council Unarpur, Safar Khaskheli was summoned by the college administration on Monday night and threatened with dire consequences if the villagers did not end their protest immediately.

Mr Samoon said that the collage administration warned Safar Khaskheli that his hotel would also be demolished.

He alleged that due to these threats, Safar Khaskheli suffered a serious heart attack on his way back home and later died. His body was taken to the Civil Hospital where after a post-mortem he was buried in the village graveyard.

On Tuesday, hundreds of villagers held a protest demonstration and sit-in on the Indus Highway.

The TPO, Kotri, Manzoor Khatian, along with a contingent of police arrived at the spot and persuaded the villagers to call off the protest. The villagers dispersed peacefully on the assurance from police that a case would be registered against the college administration.