Man faking his kidnapping, murder caught alive from Pindi

Ghulam Rasool, dodging Rs8.5m debt posted images of his torture and murder from FB messenger to his parents, friends

KARACHI:

Fiction never fails to inspire people from staging their own kidnappings, but they always get caught in the end.

A 24-year-old man, Ghulam Rasool, son of a court official in Nawabshah, orchestrated his own kidnapping and murder on social media to evade a debt of Rs8.5 million, only to be caught alive.

The Saddar investigation police recovered Ghulam Rasool in a successfully executed operation in Rawalpindi.

The police investigators traced the IP address from where he was putting up the posts of his torture and threats by the fabricated kidnapers.

Like the khoji or trail pickers of yore, the modern day investigators picked up the digital footprint of the messages sent to Ghulam Rasool’s family and friends to trace him.South district SSP Investigation Abdul Rahim Shirazi sharing the details with the media said that on April 23, Ghulam Rasool travelled from Nawabshah to Karachi for business purposes. However, he went missing near Kala Pul on Korangi Road. The following day, on April 24, his uncle

Muhammad Hanif filed a complaint at the Saddar police station, reporting Ghulam Rasool's abduction. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Ghulam Rasool was in debt of Rs8.5 million. In a surprising twist, he used his own Facebook Messenger to send messages to his friends, pretending to be his kidnapper, and wrote "We have your man". He even used red paint to fake injuries, the SSP said.

Read Kotri police recover ‘kidnaped’ girl from her sister's house

Finally, Ghulam Rasool posted his image lying motionless on the floor under a noose. He posted pictures of himself appearing dead on Facebook Messenger to his parents and friends.

The heartbroken parents, family and friends even held a protest outside the IG Sindh office demanding safe recovery of Ghulam Rasool. In his last post after his fake execution, Ghulam Rasool, posing as the kidnapper, wrote, "We have killed your man just like the police kill our men. We have some people in our captivity, and in one or two days, it will be their turn too. We will start targeting the children of police officers, and they will know the horror of seeing the dead bodies of their loved ones.”

Ghulam Rasool posing as head of a terrorist organization said, “Our ultimate goal is to get the corrupt and bribe eating IG of Sindh.”

The post suggested that the Sindh govt should remove the IG from office or “continue picking up dead bodies."
The desperate family wrote, "For God's sake tell us about the body.”

The person pretending to be the kidnapper replied "Protest against the IG and then we will tell you."

Ghulam Rasool continued to speak very brutally to his family and said "The police started the war, and we will finish it."SSP further said Ghulam Rasool had made a brazen demand for the resignation of IG Sindh.

However, the South Investigation Police successfully recovered Ghulam Rasool alive in Rawalpindi through technical expertise, including tracing his IP address, the police uncovered the truth behind the staged abduction and murder drama.

‘Faked kidnapping out of fear of creditors’

In a video statement, Ghulam Rasool admitted that he left his house due to fear of his creditors. He clarified that no one had abducted him.

Rasool explained that he started a used clothes business a year and a half ago, initially making significant profits. Encouraged by this success, he decided to invest more money, borrowing cash from friends to buy used clothes in bulk. He would separate the finer items, get them washed and ironed, and display them attractively at his shop to draw in customers. His business was thriving, and he was able to pay profits to his friends.

However, he eventually suffered some losses and took on additional loans. At this point, he owed around Rs6.5 million to friends and family. Feeling desperate, Rasool decided to disappear and go somewhere he was unknown.

He left Nawabshah on April 23 and traveled to Rawalpindi by train with Rs300,000 in cash. After arriving in Rawalpindi, he turned off all the SIMs in his mobile phone. A few days later, when he turned on his Facebook account, he saw posts about his disappearance. Rasool then posted a photo of himself with his hands and feet tied, claiming he had been kidnapped. Two days later, he uploaded another photo, implying he had been killed by a blow to the head, using red colouring to simulate blood.

The posts on his account led to an outpouring of concern and friend requests. He then posed as a kidnapper, contacting his cousin and claiming he had been murdered. When his cousin asked for his body, Rasool responded that it had been disposed of, further confusing and distressing his family. He also made a statement against the IG Sindh, accusing him of killing workers, before closing his Facebook account.

During this period, Rasool continued his artwork, which provided him with some profit. He was caught by Sindh Police and Punjab Police while delivering a parcel of goods he had made to a client. Rasool reiterated that he left his home willingly and was not kidnapped. He explained that he disappeared to escape his debts, hoping to earn enough money to repay his friends.