A happy ending: 3-year-old Roshni found after 45 days

Three suspects arrested after police encounter.

SUKKUR: After a brutal wait of over a month and a half, three-year-old Roshni was returned to her parents on Thursday night.

The toddler was kidnapped from the main bazaar of Buxapur Town on December 13, 2010 when she had gone to buy sweets from a nearby shop. Her father, Jay Pal Das, and uncle, Sham Lal, went to their relatives, but they did not find the girl anywhere.

They complained to the police and also sought the help of MPA Ghalib Hussain Domki who had assured them that the girl would be found. “We’re Hindus without political or tribal backing so we are totally dependent on Domki,” Sham Lal had said.

On Thursday, the Kashmore police raided the Lanjo Pat area, Balochistan, and after an encounter arrested three of the kidnappers - Bahot Jakhrani, Rajoo Jakhrani and Shero Mazari - but other members of the gang escaped.

Kashmore DPO Asad Raza Shah told The Express Tribune that the police raided the area of Lanjo Pat, which is said to be a safe haven for Chakrani Bugtis who are allegedly involved in such crimes. “When they saw the police, the kidnappers opened fire and after a two-hour encounter, the police recovered the girl.” The arrested suspects are being interrogated, the DPO added.

Roshni is healthy and now in safe hands. But the little girl is still in shock. Sham Lal said Roshni is scared to go to anyone except her parents. “She hasn’t uttered a word so far about her kidnapping. All she says is papa and mama.”

According to MPA Domki, the kidnapping in the area was the first of its kind in the last 30 to 35 years. Buxapur is a tribal area and is just three kilometres away from Balochistan, which is why the law and order situation in Kashmore district was deteriorating, he said.

The Hindus, particularly in Kashmore, has been targeted by kidnapping-for-ransom gangs.

Recently, another three-year-old girl, Anchal, was also kidnapped from outside a temple. She was found by the police a few days later and safely reunited with her family. Tiranjeet Kumar, also three years old, who lived in the Mukhi Mohallah, Kandhkot, was playing outside his house when he went missing on December 28, 2010.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th,  2011.