Police recover three children kidnapped as revenge for failed marriage

Four suspects, including two women, also taken into custody by Hyderabad police

HYDERABAD:

Police have recovered three children who were kidnapped as an act of revenge for a couple's separation and the subsequent custody of their infant in Hyderabad. Four suspects, including two women, have been arrested.

While speaking at a news conference on Saturday, ASP Rana Muhammad Dilawar disclosed that seven-year-old Alishba, four-year-old Bushra, daughters of Imamuddin Almani, and five-year-old Hasnain, son of Nizamuddin Almani, were rescued within three days of their abduction on December 13 from Qasimabad.

He identified the arrested suspects as Zainab, alias Zara Chandio, Dr Zaheer Abbass Laghari, Nadir Laghari, and Zehra Laghari. Dr Zaheer is alleged to be the mastermind, while Nadir facilitated lodging and transport.

Though the exact location from where the recovery had been made was not disclosed, police sources revealed that the children were found in a house in Gulshah-e-Hadeed, Phase II, Karachi, during a police raid.

ASP Dilawar said that Chandio had introduced herself as Najma Khoso a week earlier, offering tuition services to the Almani family. After three days of tutoring, she abducted the children on the fourth day. The kidnapped minors were initially kept in a house in Wanki Wassi, Hatri Town of Hyderabad, rented by Nadir. Ashfaque Almani, the uncle, utilised personal sources to trace the children, discovering their location in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, leading to the police raid.

The children were kept in a tranquilised state to prevent them from drawing attention. Advocate Ashfaque mentioned that Dr Zaheer's anger stemmed from his failed marriage to a relative, leading to separation and custody granted to the woman. The Almanis' support of their relative further fueled Dr Zaheer's resentment.

ASP Dilawar stated that Chandio worked with Dr Zaheer at his clinic, suggesting a possible connection between the two. Dr Zaheer confessed to the crime during initial interrogation, acknowledging the revenge motive against advocate Ashfaque, the maternal uncle of the kidnapped children.

The ASP claimed that the same group had previously kidnapped another child, securing ransom before releasing him. Imamuddin, through his brother-in-law advocate Ashfaque, filed a petition in the Sindh High Court, with notices issued for December 16.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2023.