In a major breakthrough in the case of a brother and sister held captive for two years over a land dispute in Gagh village in Chakwal, Neela police have arrested two additional suspects.
The latest arrest brings the total number of arrests to three. The suspects were presented in a local court, which granted a five-day physical remand.
According to SHO Chaudhry Sohaib Muzaffar, the newly arrested suspects, identified as Ashraf and Shakeel, are brothers of the primary accused, Ansar Mehmood, who was already in custody.
The three were produced in court under tight security, their faces covered.
The police had requested a seven-day remand, citing the severity of the crime and the need for further investigation and evidence collection. However, the court granted five days of remand.
Meanwhile, 32-year-old Hasan Raza, who survived the ordeal, has begun speaking.
He was discharged from the hospital and moved to protective custody at Neela police station.
The SHO stated that the police had cleaned and groomed Hasan, providing him with warm clothing and bedding. Speaking to The Express Tribune at the police station, Hasan recounted that he was held captive with his 26-year-old sister, Jabeen, and was occasionally given food.
He added that his father had passed away, leaving him the sole heir to vast land holdings.
Police believe Hasan's testimony is crucial, as he is not only a victim but also the only eyewitness in the case.
His statement will help establish solid evidence against the accused.
Meanwhile, authorities are still awaiting the postmortem report of Jabeen, who died during captivity.
The report will determine the exact cause of her death.
An investigation by The Express Tribune revealed that locals of the area kept mum over the oppression because of the influential accused.
After the Neela police action against the accused and recovery of a woman's body and her living brother, a team of The Express Tribune visited the area to inquire about the inside story, but the locals locked their houses upon seeing them.
After two days of efforts, the locals finally spoke out about the brutality committed by the accused.
The perpetrators, Anser Mehmood, Shakeel, and Ashraf, had such immense power that the locals, despite witnessing the abuse of the siblings, remained silent due to fear.
There are dozens of houses surrounding the haveli, but the residents stayed quiet due to their fear of the accused.
It was only after an anonymous letter that the police took action, recovering the body of Jabeen Bibi and rescuing her brother Hassan Raza.
After two days of persistent efforts, the locals finally spoke out against the powerful accused, stating that everyone knew about the oppression happening to the siblings, who were the sole heirs to hundreds of acres of land.
The locals, including elderly landowner Muhammad Anwar, said that Jabeen and Hassan had been kept captive by the servants of their cousin brothers, with the landowner, Chaudhry Anser Mehmood, profiting from their land while keeping them imprisoned.
The police have said the accused will be charged with concrete evidence.
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