Sindhi singer Jigar Jalal kidnapped

Area where the singer went is a stronghold of dacoits

KARACHI: Sindhi folk singer Nabi Bux Chandio, better known by his alias, Jigar Jalal, who recently shot to fame for his entertaining 'Goth Studio' versions of Koko Korina, Lathay Di Chadar and Sammi Meri Waar, has reportedly been kidnapped in Shikarpur.

Jalal's son, Aftab Chandio, nephew Ameer Ali Chandio, the drummer Nawaz Latif Tunio and driver, Bahadur, has also gone missing.

Local police sources said that Jalal, along with his band members, was invited to perform in a wedding ceremony within the limits of Napar Kot Police Station on Sunday night. His family and police believe that Jalal and his band members have been abducted by the organisers.

Shikarpur police have detained at least 10 suspects in connection with the folk singer's alleged kidnapping.

The area where Jalal was supposed to perform is located in the Katcha area of the Indus River and is notorious for the presence of dacoits. "It is a no-go-area even for the police," said a local journalist of Shikarpur city, Sultan Rind. "I don't think the police have entered this area in the last 10 years," he added. Rind said that - kidnapping for ransom is a routine matter in the area and the victims' families hardly ever registered a police case, preferring instead to pay the ransom money and seek the safe return of their loved ones. No case of the singer's kidnapping has been registered yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2019.