ISLAMABAD: An under-trial prisoner (UTP) involved in over two dozen cases of kidnapping for ransom managed to escape from the ‘heavily guarded’ District and Sessions Court here on Wednesday, police said.

The UTP was arrested in January along with his accomplices, which was termed by the then inspector general of police, SP a great achievement at a joint press conference.

He and his gang members were involved in scores of kidnapping for ransom cases registered in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On Wednesday the police said they brought the kidnappers to court for hearing and kept them in judicial lockup.

When they were taken to the court under the escort of a sub-inspector, an assistant sub-inspector and four constables, one of the accused ran away.

Later the remaining prisoners were shifted back to the judicial lockup where the escapee was identified as the ringleader of Shahjhan gang, they said. “At the time of their shifting to court from the lockup they all were handcuffed, but somehow the accused managed to untie his cuffs and escaped.

It maybe mentioned here that the policemen were deployed at almost all the entry/exit points of the court.

Besides, pickets have also been set up on the periphery of the courts at Kaghan Road, Johar Road, and Park Road hence the accused could not escape under such circumstances without the support of the police escorting them, a police officer said.

The officer said that the policemen who escorting the accused informed their supervisory officer late and he too took the issue lightly.

Later, SI, ASI and four constables, who were escorting the prisoners, were taken into custody and shifted to Margalla police station.The Margalla police quoting the policemen said somehow the accused managed to untie the handcuff and escaped.

“We made efforts and also tried to alert the staff deployed at entry/exit but all in vain,” the arrested policemen further told to the investigating officer.

The accused along his five other accomplices, including two women were arrested from G-12 after an encounter on January 15.

They had abducted two persons Syed Ahsan Abbas and Syed Rehman Ali on December 11 and December 29 respectively from Sector G-13 and in this regard cases were registered against them with Golra and Ramna police stations.

They demanded a ransom of Rs10 million from the family of Ali for his safe release through a call.

With help of the phone the investigators succeeded in tracing their location at Itafaq Town in G-12 and Mardan and other areas of the country.

Later, a raid was conducted at G-12 which led to the encounter and police succeeded in arresting six accused and recovering the two kidnapped persons.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2014