HYDERABAD, July 30: A number of women demonstrated outside the press club here on Monday in protest against the SHO of Tando Allahyar police station who allegedly released a rapist and thief after taking bribe.

Shouting slogans against the SHO, the protesters accused him of releasing Zeeshan Khanzada, an alleged rapist, after taking a bribe of Rs100,000.

They said Zeeshan Khanzada and another person had broken into a house in Abbas Colony on July 26, criminally assaulted an 18-year-old girl and decamped with Rs40,000.

They said the girl’s relatives had lodged a case against him and his accomplice at Tando Allahyar police station.

According to them, ASI Nasrullah arrested Zeeshan on July 29 but SHO Sanaullah Panhwar released him after taking bribe.

On the same day, Zeeshan and five men went to the girl’s house at 3am, opened fire and threatened to kill all members of the family if the case was not withdrawn.

The women accused police of supporting Zeeshan and his accomplices and said that if the girl and her mother did not get justice within three days they would set themselves on fire outside the office of DIG Hyderabad. They urged the authorities to ensure the arrest of the accused.