The accused, Misri, had confined the family in his house in the Qadir Nagar area of Qasimabad and was demanding Rs25,000 for their release.
According to one of the hostages, Mitho, his family had taken a loan worth Rs8,000 and four carts from Misri but they returned the money along with interest. Misri was not satisfied and he repeatedly demanded more money and when the family failed to pay him, he kept them in illegal custody in his house.
Two days ago, Misri released Mitho’s son-in-law Abdullah so he could fetch Rs20,000 for the family’s release. When Abdullah gave him the money, he refused to set the family free and demanded more money.
Abdullah filed a complaint with the Naseem Nagar police, who raided Misri’s house on Wednesday evening and released the remaining nine hostages, including Mitho, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad, Amna and five children, Mehnaz, Akbar, Dildar, Shehnaz and Amina. The police also arrested Misri and two of his accomplices, Somar and Tamachi.
The hostages and the suspects were presented before a civil judge and judicial magistrate in court No. 12. The suspects have been given into police custody on a one-day remand while the hostages have recorded their statements and have been asked to appear again before the court on Friday.
Hyderabad police performance
The Hyderabad police have rounded up more than 90 suspected criminals and seized cash, jewellery, cars, motorcycles, weapons, mobile phones and a large quantity of drugs from their possession, said DPO Hyderabad Munir Ahmed Shaikh, while talking to the media at Police Headquarters on Tuesday.
According to Shaikh, the apprehended suspects were allegedly involved in robberies at banks, petrol pumps and houses, the sale of alcohol, gambling and drug peddling.
Osman Ghani, who was previously arrested for his alleged involvement in the attack on the US Consulate in Karachi in 2006, is also among the apprehended suspects. Two others, Anwarul Haq and Hussain Pathan, were sentenced to death in the case, while Ghani was acquitted after four years as there was no evidence against him.
“Street crimes make up about 90 per cent of all offences, followed by an eight per cent share of robberies,” he pointed out, adding that preliminary investigations suggest that a majority of the suspects caught in Hyderabad hail from the interior Sindh.
“The police are trying to hunt down ringleaders,” Shaikh said.
Additional input from APP
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2010.
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