Adduction for ransom: Child recovered, two kidnappers killed in shootout

The father paid the ransom; informed police of the kidnappers’ location.

BAHAWALPUR:

A child abducted for ransom was recovered in Kot Samba and two of his kidnappers were killed in a shootout with the police on Friday night.

Muhammad Arshad’s 13-year old son was on his way home from school on June 24, when armed men in a car abducted him.

They later called his family and demanded a Rs5 million ransom.

On Friday, Arshad managed to persuade the kidnappers to accept Rs500,000. The kidnappers told him to bring the money to a place near Chak 84.



The police had been informed of the abduction and Kot Samaba SHO Muhammad Rafique Dhareja and the Rahim Yar Khan Saddar SHO followed Arshad to the location.

Arshad paid the kidnappers the money. He then told the police about the kidnappers’ location.

He said there were four men on bikes. Police established pickets at the seepage drain and when the kidnappers reached one of those police tried to stop them but they shot at the police.



Police returned fire and critically injured two of the kidnappers, while the other two managed to flee. The injured men died on the way to a hospital.

Police said they recovered the ransom money, a motorcycle and some weapons from the kidnappers. Their bodies were sent for post mortem examination.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2013.