DHA kidnapping case: Police suspect kidnappers were ‘hired guns’

Two days on, police have been unable to trace Dua Mangi while Haris Fatah still in critical condition

KARACHI: Police have failed to make any headway into tracing the whereabouts of the young woman, Dua Mangi, who was abducted from Bukhari Commerical Area in Defence Housing Authority on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Haris Fatah, who was with Dua at the time of the incident and was shot by the kidnappers for putting up resistance, is still under treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Despite the passage of over two days, the special taskforce comprising investigations and operations police has failed to trace the kidnappers' vehicle. Law enforcers have now widened the scope of their search and have sought help from a unit of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) that specialises in kidnapping cases.

What they know so far

Police have now confirmed that there were five kidnappers in the car - two in the front and three seated in the back. A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that of the five accused, one was wearing a mask to hide his face. Police suspect that the kidnapper wearing the mask was known to the victims, while the others had been hired to carry out the abduction. Law enforcers put the age of the kidnappers between 35 and 40 years.

According to the investigators, it has been learned that an ex-fiancé of Dua, who was in the US, had possibly come to Karachi in recent days.  Police suspect the ex-fiancé could be involved in the kidnapping.

Woman abducted, friend shot in Karachi DHA

Witness accounts

Meanwhile, the rickshaw driver, who was the first to reach the crime scene and is a key witness in the case, told The Express Tribune that he was the one who informed the police on the Madadgar 15 helpline about the incident.

The witness said that when he heard the gunshot, he and several security guards ran towards the site and found a young man lying on the ground. The man, who was later identified as Haris, was shot in the neck, said the witness, adding that his belongings were strewn around him.

The witness called out for help so that Haris could be rushed to the hospital. "They were walking in front of me," said the witness, adding that he had never seen them before but a security guard had seen them a few times.

The vehicle

Police are also making efforts to trace the vehicle used in the kidnapping. According to police records, a vehicle with a similar description was snatched from a citizen on Mahmood Ghaznavi Road in PECHS Block 2 on November 27. Police said that four culprits were involved in the crime and they were all wearing masks to hide their faces.

On the other hand, investigating authorities did geo fencing on the sides of the scene.

Geo-fencing

According to the investigators, Dua and Haris had come to a friend's birthday party on the day of the incident. Police will also record the statement of the friend, Hamza, whose birthday was being celebrated that day. Meanwhile, the investigators are still waiting for Haris' condition to stabilise so they can record his statement.

The investigation team has also been in touch with the victims' families, who have received no calls for ransom from the kidnappers. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2019.