October 23, 2001	Tuesday	Shaba'an 5, 1422

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KARACHI, Oct 22: A woman, kidnapped for ransom on Saturday, was recovered on Monday following an encounter between the alleged kidnappers and the police in which two suspects were shot dead and their accomplice managed to flee.

The police said robbers raided a house in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Saturday, held the family hostage at gunpoint, collected cash including US dollars, jewellery and other valuables and kidnapped a young woman of the family.

The family approached the police and the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee. The police with the help of the CPLC tried to locate the suspects and the kidnapped woman. The suspects contacted the family over the mobile phone, which they had taken away from the family’s home, and demanded Rs5 million as ransom.

SSP CIA Manzoor Mughal, who was holding an additional charge of the district East, told Dawn that the deal was struck at Rs500,000, and in the meantime, the police with the help of CPLC, traced the suspects’ whereabouts. The police and the CPLC raided the spotted House No.1562, Sector 51-C, Madina Colony in Korangi, where the suspects sensing danger opened fire at the police. The police returned the fire.

During the exchange of fire, two of the alleged kidnappers suffered multiple bullet wounds and died on the spot. The third suspect fled the scene. A policeman was also wounded in the shootout.

The CPLC chief Jamil Yusuf said the family approached them following the incident.

Jamil Yusuf said the kidnappers had committed a robbery in August in a house in Gulshan-i-Iqbal where they had kidnapped a woman for ransom. The deal was struck at Rs350,000 for the release of the girl.