RAWALPINDI, Nov 14: An area magistrate here on Friday remanded a man, claiming to be a close friend of the prime minister, into physical custody of Sadiqabad police for three days for interrogation.

The man had been arrested for allegedly swindling common citizens.

Civil Judge Tahir Khan Niazi remanded Altaf Afridi, alias Gudoo, a resident of Dhoke Elahi Baksh, into police custody after investigators said they had to recover a laptop, cheque books, credit cards and prize bonds.

The accused was taken into custody by Sadiqabad police on Wednesday after the police was intimated that a man had been cheating people by claiming to be a close ‘aide’ of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The police registered a case against Afridi, who was among frequent visitors of Yousuf Raza Gilani in Adiala jail, on charges of swindling a deceased man’s family of two cars, prize bonds, costly household items and credit cards.

Shamim Imtiaz, the sister of the victim, lodged a complaint with the police saying that after her brother Raja Amin death, Altaf Afridi came to her house and convinced her that her brother had been his fast friend and that he be given his belongings which he would return after some time.

She alleged that despite repeated reminders, she could not get her brother’s belongings back from Afridi and accused him of depriving them of Amin’s two cars, prize bonds worth Rs40,000, costly households, ATM and credit cards. She also alleged that he had threatened them of dire consequences.

Meanwhile four robbers stormed into the house of Samreen Mazhar in Sadiqabad and looted huge quantity of jewellery and seven mobile phones on Wednesday, police said.

Separately Civil Judge Rai Afzal Kharal remanded two women into physical custody of Westridge police for three days. They were arrested for allegedly depriving people of their valuables in public transport.

The police had sought physical custody of Sonia Aftab and Shahnaz Faisal in order to recover gold ornaments. The accused allegedly made the women passengers unconscious and then stole their jewellery and other valuables.

Meanwhile ATC-II Judge Sakhi Muhammad Kahot directed Islamabad police to paste wanted posters of three men yet to be arrested for their alleged role in the suicide attack on Marriott Hotel this Ramazan.

The court directed Secretariat police to paste the posters of Abraruddin, Imran and Ashraf after investigators said the accused could not be arrested despite having obtained their arrest warrants.

The police have to submit their report in one month to the court.