Six-year-old recovered after ransom payment

Family accuse police of negligence, police say they weren’t informed.

BAHAWALPUR:

A six-year-old boy kidnapped 20 days ago was recovered on Sunday night after the family paid the ransom. The family complained that the police had not helped them find the boy. The police, however, said that the family had been talking to the kidnappers without taking the police on board.

The child’s father, Waheed Fayyaz, told The Express Tribune that his son was kidnapped by two unidentified men on a motorcycle from near his house. He said he had informed the police, but they did not act.

He said earlier this week, the Bahawalpur DPO had assured him that his child would be recovered soon. He said the police had been telling him that they were busy with Muharram security arrangements and that he would have to wait.

Fayyaz said he owned a cloth shop in Bakhsh Market and did not have any enemies. He said a few days later, the kidnappers had called him and demanded Rs500,000 ransom. He said he was told not to inform the police.



Dissapointed in the police, Fayyaz said he had agreed to the kidnappers’ demand and paid the money on Sunday night.

He said he was told to leave the money in a field. A few hours later, he said, someone dropped his son in front of his house.

DPO Sohail Habib Tajik denied the allegations against the police. He said the family did not pursue the case with them. He said it was after the child’s return that the police discovered that they (family) had negotiated with the kidnappers. He said a police team had been formed to arrest the kidnappers.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2013.