22 August 2004	Sunday	05 Rajab 1425

FAISALABAD, Aug 21: The district police freed on Friday night alleged criminal Muhammad Nawaz alias Nawaja Sikh and his 13 close relatives and friends after six-day confinement when they were found 'innocent' in a kidnap for ransom case.

Reports said a heavy police contingent raided a house at Chak 185-RB in Chak Jhumra police station precinct and arrested Nawaz and his 13 relatives for their alleged involvement in a kidnap for ransom case.

Among the arrested were Nawaz's son Umar (a class ninth student), Safdar Iqbal, Shafiq, Talaat, Imtiaz, Taj Muhammad, Ghulam Muhammad and Sarfraz (cousins), and Humayun and Adnan (nephews).

The police shifted the arrested people to unknown location and interrogated them for six days in connection with kidnap of student Yasir Dastagir, son of Ghulam Dastagir (a resident of the Millat Road).

Sources in the department claimed that the police interrogated the arrested men in different styles and tried to find a clue to the kidnappers, but all their efforts proved futile. Absolving Nawaja Sikh and his associates of kidnapping, the sources said, the police let them go.

However, they added, the arrest of all the 14 people was not entered in any record.

It is pertinent to mention that Nawaz is allegedly involved in over 30 cases of murder, attempted murder, possessing illicit weapons and other heinous crimes. But he was acquitted by courts after long trials. He had an old enmity with a group due to which over two dozen lives had been lost.

Meanwhile, the sources said Yasir was kidnapped for ransom by some unknown people about a month ago. The kidnappers demanded Rs1.5 million ransom after which victim's father infor-med police about the incident.

A police team asked Yasir's family to arrange the amount so that a drama could be staged for luring the kidnappers. Ghulam Dastagir, assisted by police, selected a site on the Sargodha Road to hand over the amount to the kidnappers. The gangsters, however, asked the visitors to put the amount on a roadside and leave the place immediately, otherwise they would kill Yasir.

Left with no other option, the police said, they dropped the bag containing the amount on roadside and left the area. But the kidnappers instead of handing over the student on the spot travelled about 20 kilometres away where they dropped him.

They said the police succeeded in finding information that Amjad Kahloon, a resident of Chak 155-RB of Chak Jhumra tehsil, might be involved in the incident.

Thereafter, the police arrested Nawaz and quizzed him to get information about the suspect, but to no avail.