Child recovered shortly after abduction, two suspects killed

Encounter took place on Khayaban-e-Bilal when police intercepted car carrying kidnapped minor

KARACHI: Police claimed on Tuesday to have recovered an abducted minor after an exchange of fire in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), which left two suspects dead.

Five-year-old Shahveez was on his way to school with his father in a car when he was whisked away by two men in a vehicle. Two other men stayed with the father and demanded ransom for the child's release.

"I was passing through Khayaban-e-Tariq in DHA Phase VI to drop my son to school when armed men on a car intercepted my car," the father told the police. "Two of them took my son into their car while two others stayed with me, demanding the ransom."

According to the police, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of Rs170 million. They later reduced the figure to Rs70 million as they negotiated with the father.

In the meantime, police, while conducting snap checking on Khayaban-e-Bilal near Do Darya within the limits of the Sahil police station, intercepted the vehicle carrying the child. An exchange of fire ensued, killing the two suspects.



The abducted child was recovered safely, the police sources said, adding that the bodies of the criminals were shifted to Edhi morgue and later to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities where they were identified as Shahid and Nadeem.

The other two suspects, who held the father and a driver hostage, fled while dropping them near Do Darya.

According to the police, the gang was involved in short-term kidnapping cases while the police was looking for their absconding comrades. The police also recovered pistols and mobile phones from the possession of the deceased suspects.

The car used in kidnapping the child had no number plate. The police said they were trying to trace the car's owner with the help of its engine number. It is suspected that the car had been stolen from somewhere.

A case has been registered, while further investigations are under way.



Incidents of kidnapping have been on rise in the DHA and Clifton areas. In February, an eight-year-old girl was recovered by the police six days after she was abducted. The police also claimed to have arrested two suspects allegedly involved in the abduction. Fida Hussain, the girl's father, registered on January 25 a complaint with the Boat Basin police station regarding the kidnapping of his daughter.