September 12, 2006	Tuesday	Sha'aban 18, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Rawalpindi police to produce before it on Tuesday (today) two women and five men who were kidnapped three weeks ago and were allegedly in the custody of Union Council Ranial (Chakri Road) Chairman Raja Tariq Mehmood.

A three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, on a suo motu notice directed District Police Officer Saud Aziz and Superintendent Police Rawal Town Yasin Farooq to produce the abducted persons. The victims were kept in a private torture cell at Tahli Mohri Chowk, allegedly owned by Raja Tariq Mehmood.

Initially, the court had directed the police to produce the abducted persons by Monday afternoon, but when the police pleaded to grant one week’s time, the bench asked them to bring the victims by Tuesday. However, the court was told that a first information report had been registered against the accused.

Raja Tariq Mehmood also appeared before the court and denied that he was instrumental in the kidnapping of seven people.

The Supreme Court had taken a suo motu notice on a press report quoting one Mohammad Waheed, a poor taxi driver and a resident of Gawalmandi, as saying that the UC Ranial chairman kidnapped male and female members of his family, including children, and kept them hostage at his private lockup adjacent to his office.

The chairman abducted the persons on the apprehensions that his own wife was kidnapped by one of the family members of the taxi driver. It is being said that the 50-year-old wife of the chairman (mother of nine children) eloped with his driver (Sarfaraz), the brother-in-law of Waheed.

The kidnapped persons were reportedly tortured brutally, and later some male members were released with the warning that if they failed to locate the chairman’s wife, their women would be disgraced.