KARACHI: Relatives and other people on Sunday evening blocked the main road near the Five Star traffic intersection in North Nazimabad in protest over ‘kidnapping’ of a seven-year-old boy in Pirabad in Orangi Town a few days ago, officials said.

The boy, Aman Ali Shah, along with his minor brother and sister was on his way to a seminary at Imambargah near Qasba Mor around five days ago when he went missing, said Pirabad SHO Ayaz Brohi.

The police registered a kidnapping case on the complaint of the boy’s father, Syed Asim Ali Shah, against unidentified suspects. Later, the complainant father told the police that he had some doubts about involvement of two persons in the alleged kidnapping of his son and the police arrested the two suspects.

The father also expressed suspicion about involvement of another person in the case.

The area SHO said that during initial investigation of the two held suspects, it transpired that the arrested suspects and the boy’s father had a monetary dispute and the former had lodged at least six FIRs against the ‘missing’ boy’s father.

On Sunday evening, “on the basis of rumours” that the two held suspects were being released by the police, the missing boy’s relatives staged a protest and blocked the road near the Five Star traffic intersection in North Nazimabad.

However, the SHO said that he spoke with the protesters and assured them that the suspects were not being released. And they would be presented before court to seek their remand on Monday, he added.

Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2018