The gambling addict: Man confesses to kidnapping, selling eight girls

The accused used to sell the minor girls to his accomplice in exchange for gambling money.

SUKKUR: Gulzar Jagirani, who was apprehended by the police while attempting to kidnap a minor girl, has been sent for an eight-day police remand by the Larkana Anti-Terrorism Court, on Saturday. The accused has confessed to kidnapping and selling eight other girls before the foiled kidnapping bid.

On July 17, Jagirani the junk dealer, intoxicated seven-year-old S* while she was on her way to the grocery shop. He put the young girl in a sack and was speeding away on his pushcart when people of the area caught wind of the incident and informed the police. The police chased Jagirani and caught him near Warah Shakh, some eight kilometres away from Ratodero.

In his statement before the Ratodero police, the accused revealed that he was a habitual gambler and had lost a lot of money. His friend, Imran Langah, a resident of Garhi Khairo near Jacobabad, often lent him money with heavy interest for gambling. He said that he owed a huge sum to Langah who suggested that he kidnap a minor girl for him to clear the debt.

Ratodero police station assistant head constable, Sajjid Ali, told The Express Tribune that Jagirani was presented in the ATC on Saturday. The court, after the initial hearing, remanded the accused to police custody for eight days. The accused was handed over to the investigating officer at Larkana CIA Centre for interrogation.

The CIA centre’s head constable, Riaz Ahmed Dayo, told The Express Tribune that the accused had confessed that he had kidnapped eight minor girls and sold them to the co-accused, Imran Langah, for Rs4,000 to Rs5,000. According to him, the accused had kidnapped those girls from different localities in and around Ratodero. The FIRs of the kidnappings are registered with the Ratodero police, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2013.