Woman abducted, friend shot in Karachi DHA

Haris Fatah was shot while resisting the abduction attempt

KARACHI: Unidentified armed men kidnapped a young woman, Dua Mangi, and shot her friend, Haris Fatah, in Karachi's Bukhari Commercial area of Defence Housing Authority on Saturday evening.

The incident occurred at around 8pm on a secluded road near the popular open-air tea cafes in Bukhari Commercial area. The kidnapped woman, Dua, was walking with her friend, Haris, when four to five persons in a car attempted to force her to get in their vehicle. When Haris put up resistance, they shot him and sped off with Dua.

Soon after the incident, multiple posts went up on social media, informing the public and the authorities of the incident. An FIR has been registered at Darakshan Police Station against unidentified men, under Sections of the Pakistan Penal Code pertaining to kidnap and attempted murder, on behalf of the injured man's father, Abdul Fatah.

Victim’s sister Laila Mangi shared the post on her Facebook account, asking for help to find her sister.

“My little sister Dua Nisar Mangi has been kidnapped and is now missing, and I request you all to spread this news as far as you can. If you know anything or any detail about Chai Master Bukhari or any news regarding dua's hangout in that place please let us know. Its urgent. I want you all to spread this news as possible.”

The FIR

According to the FIR, the complainant told the police that Haris had gone to meet with his friends on Saturday (November 30) evening. At around 8:25pm, Haris called and said that he had been shot, said the victim's father. “I heard the people around Haris saying that they were taking him to a private hospital. When we reached the hospital, we found Haris there. He was wounded and we shifted him to a private hospital on Stadium Road”. Haris was initially rushed to the National Medical Centre on Korangi Road, from where he was later shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital on Stadium Road.

The FIR states that four to five armed men shot Haris in Bukhari Commercial area with the intention of killing him. The perpetrators kidnapped Dua and legal action should be taken against them, it reads.

Police investigation

Darakshan police have formed a special team comprising officials of Operations and Investigations Police to investigate the incident and trace the kidnapped woman.

The police team and Rangers officials reached the site on Sunday morning to collect evidence and footage from the CCTV cameras.

The law enforcers claim that the suspects were clever as they waited in their car while Dua was walking toward them. When she came close, they shot Haris and kidnapped her, said the police, while adding that the kidnappers left Dua’s mobile phone behind to avoid being tracked through the phone’s location.

The statement of a rickshaw driver, who was a witness to the crime, has been recorded. He told the police that he heard the gunshot and ran towards the site, accompanied by a security guard. However, when they reached the site, the culprits had driven off, he added.

Police have also recorded the statements of waiters and staff at the tea cafes in the area. One of the waiters told the police that Mangi and Fatah were frequent customers at his tea café.

According to the police, the perpetrators took off with Dua in a grey Honda Civic, the model of which was around four years old. Police will be investigating the cell phone data of both the victims and geo-fencing of the site will also be carried out.

The CCTV footage shows Dua and Haris walking down the street minutes before the incident. In the other footage, the kidnappers are seen taking the abductee with them.

What we know

Dua and Haris were attacked while they were on the street. Dua’s whereabouts remain unknown and the police have yet to trace the car or the culprits. Haris is in critical condition and is under treatment. According to his father, the bullet which hit him in the neck has moved further down his body and reached his chest. Haris is being shifted from the emergency ward to the Intensive Care Unit, said the victim’s father.

The police’s initial suspicion is that the incident is one of personal enmity but Fatah said that his son did not have any enmity or dispute with anyone.

Meanwhile, a close associate of Mangi’s family told The Express Tribune that Dua had recently returned from the US, where she had befriended a man, M*. When she returned to Karachi, they developed differences and Dua refused to talk to him.

Over the past couple of months, M* had made several attempts to talk to Dua, but she had thwarted his attempts. On Saturday evening, Dua was at a birthday party at a house in the area, when she had come outside to meet Harris. M* had likely been following Dua, as he was in the vicinity with his friends when they saw Dua and Harris strolling in the street. It was at this point that Dua was kidnapped and Harris was shot. Police officials, however, refused to confirm the details, but said they were investigating the case from various angles.

The victims’ families and friends have, meanwhile, taken to social media to appeal people to help locate Mangi’s whereabouts and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Despite repeated attempts, South DIG Sharjeel Kharal, South SSP Sheeraz Nazir, and South Investigation SP Roy Aijaz, could not be reached for an update in the investigation. They appear to be avoiding giving a comment in this regard. Darakshan Police SHO Inspector Azam Goyang told The Express Tribune that the police are gathering evidence related to the incident and will inform if any progress is made.