LAHORE, Nov 6: The Crimes Investigation Police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested a police constable and his three accomplices for kidnapping a two and a half years old child for ransom.

SSP (Investigation) Sohail Akhtar Sukhera told a news conference that Dawood was abducted by his paternal uncle Jameel, a police constable, and his accomplices from Hunjarwal around a month ago for Rs1 million ransom.

He said after the child reached home, a police team managed to identify the kidnapper who abducted his nephew for money. Police recovered Rs700,000 from the suspects and handed over the amount to victim’s father.

The SSP said police also arrested a rickshaw driver who abducted 11-year-old Shazia from Kahna a few weeks ago and attempted to sell her.

suspect escaped: Two policemen were arrested as a suspect facing theft charges escaped from the Mozang police lockup on Monday.

Civil Lines SP (Investigation) Adeel Hussain Chandio told Dawn that the suspect, Shan alias Sunny of Hakeeman Wala Bazaar, Sandah, who was on two-day physical remand escaped after removing an iron bar of the lockup around 11.15pm during a power outage.

He said it was being probed into as to how the suspect removed the lockup’s iron bar, adding that two policemen -- head-constable Faryad and constable Naseer -- who were on duty had been arrested and suspended from service after being booked.

Investigation would establish whether the suspect escaped from the lockup in connivance with the officials, he added.

DIG (Operations) Muhammad Tahir Rai also suspended the Moharrar of the police station from service.

A senior police official said the bar seemed to be poorly fixed which provided the suspect an opportunity to remove it by using some force.

He said an inquiry had been launched into the incident.

DISMISSAL: The chief traffic officer on Tuesday dismissed four wardens from service for prolonged absence from duty.

According to a release, wardens Naveed Ahsan, Waseem, Ghazanfar and Ghulam Rasool were dismissed from service after they remained absent from duty continuously.