KARACHI, May 26: Two suspected kidnappers were killed, while a jeweller, kidnapped two days back, was recovered on Thursday following a shootout with the police at the Defence Housing Society. Police said a car was intercepted near Khayaban-i-Ittehad in the small hours on Thursday but its driver tried to speed away. Police mobile vans chased and blocked its way. However, instead of surrendering to the police, three occupants of the car attempted to run away while firing at the police.

The police returned fire killing two of the three with the third one managing to escape. Abdul Qadir Parekh, the kidnapped, was recovered by the police from the car. SP Farooq Awan, in-charge of the Anti-Violence Crime Cell (AVCC) told Dawn that the identities of the deceased culprits had been established as Muazzam Shah and Ali. Their identities were established from papers recovered from them.

“We are not sure about their identities and are investigating into it. We have also found the involvement of a woman in this case, as one had called the family members of Mr Parekh for ransom. We are also trying to locate her,” Mr Awan said.

Mr Parekh was kidnapped on Tuesday evening when he left his Saddar shop for Tariq Road, Mr Awan said. He (Parekh) was intercepted by two armed men at Lucky Star, the SP added. They entered his car and blind folded him, and took him to an apartment. A demand for Rs5 million ransom was made.

A deal was struck at Rs300,000, and a restaurant at Sea View was chosen as the venue to exchange the captive and the ransom. The police, however, spotted the car of Mr Parekh before it reached the marked place and a shootout started. Mr Parekh remained unhurt in the shootout.

The chief of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee, Sharfuddin Memon, said assistance was provided to the AVCC and the captive’s family, and a better coordination with the police had helped track down the culprits and recover the captive, unhurt. Giving details, he said 20 people had been kidnapped for ransom this year since January and the CPLC, in coordination with the police, had solved 18 cases.