September 02, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 1, 1429

HYDERABAD, Sept 1: The joint investigation team of Hyderabad and Matiari police is still clueless about the kidnapping of a grade-20 Sindh government official, Munawar Junejo, who was kidnapped on Aug 24 on way to his agricultural farm.

Police had picked up about a dozen suspects, who were mostly involved in harbouring dacoits and grilled them “but they have failed to give any useful piece of information,” said a police official on condition of anonymity.

Police had probed the possibility that the gang that kidnapped Junejo might be the same that had kidnapped one Mir Wajid who had returned apparently after paying ransom several months ago. He lives in Tandojam and owns agricultural land in Matiari.

“A police official was sent to him to get some information about his kidnappers but he told him to talk to his son who was in Karachi,” said another source.

A police official said that he thought there was only 50 per cent chance that the same gang was involved in Junejo’s kidnapping. “We are probing the case from different angles and keeping an eye on the movement of different gangs operating in upper and lower Sindh,” said an investigation wing official of Hyderabad.

“I admit that the joint team has not been able so far to make any major headway in this regard,” he said.

Sources said that the kidnappers had not up till then made any contact with the hostage’s family, making the task of Junejo’s recovery even more difficult because almost always the contact led police to kidnappers in such cases.

“I think the arrest and detention of several persons have alerted the kidnappers. That’s why they are not trying to make any phone call for ransom, if it’s a case of kidnapping for ransom,” said the sources.