Working overtime: Three men rescued, two kidnapped, one released on ransom

Interior Sindh has become notorious for abductions as police fail to find an answer.

SUKKUR: The Shikarpur police claimed to have rescued three kidnapped persons on Wednesday during an operation in the katcha areas of Shah Jaleel, Kot Shahu, Garhi Teghani and Golo Daro.

In a media briefing at his office on Wednesday night, Shikarpur SSP Jawaid Jaskani claimed that during an operation against the criminals in the katcha areas of the district, the police encountered a gang of kidnappers. According to him, the police managed to arrest one of the kidnappers, Badar Marfani, who was injured in an exchange of fire. However, the other kidnappers managed to escape.

The police also managed to rescue three people who were kidnapped three weeks ago from Jacobabad and Ghotki. Those recovered were identified as Iqbal Leghari and Farman Leghari of Ghotki and Ramzan Kakepoto of Jacobabad.

The SSP admitted that 12 to 15 people are still in the clutches of kidnappers in the district but promised that the police will do their best to rescue them. Informed sources claimed that Jaskani has been posted to Shikarpur to improve the law and order situation and to fight the gangs of kidnappers that have become a particular source of nuisance for the police and the government. Talking about the recovery of the three kidnapped persons, sources claimed that this was part of a deal between the kidnappers and the police, due to which the three were offered to the police along with one of their gang members. However, Jaskani could not be contacted for his comments.

Released on ransom

On the other hand, a sub-engineer of the National Highway Authority, Liaqat Channa, who was kidnapped on April 28 while on his way to Sukkur from Larkana, reached home safely two days ago. The police had found his car from the remits of Shikarpur’s Rustam police station, 24 hours after his kidnapping. The kidnappers had demanded Rs10 million for his release, which they later reduced to Rs5 million. However, the family reportedly only paid an amount of Rs2 million.

Two more picked up

On the other hand, two persons Khalid Korai and Allah Bachayo Mahar, both residents of village Ashraf Mahar situated in Ghotki’s Sarhad police limits, were kidnapped two days ago.

Both men were going to Shikarpur to visit a girl who had been talking to them over the phone. The two went missing on the way to meet her. Muhammad Umer Korai, uncle of Khalid, told reporters that the mobile phones of both the kidnapped are switched off. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2014.