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GUJRANWALA, May 28: The Baghbanpura police have recovered a murder case complainant, who was kidnapped and thrown at a railway track in Narowal by the relatives of the accused. He was brought back to his family on Saturday. Reports said Muhammad Arshad, a resident of Thatha Rao Wahando, had killed Abdul Rashid of Kot Ladha village over enmity in 1994. The Gujranwala sessions court awarded him the death sentence, which was upheld by the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court. Later, the president, too, rejected his mercy appeal.
The sessions court issued warrants for his execution, but Arshad’s family managed to get it postponed three times. As a last resort, the family kidnapped the complainant, Muhammad Rafiq, who is an uncle of the deceased, some three weeks ago.
The sessions court gave three days to the police to recover the man, who was initially kept in detention in Narowal by the kidnappers and then thrown at a railway track.
DPO Dr Arif Mushtaq claimed at a press conference that a Gujranwala police team surrounded the accused near a railway track, but they managed to escape leaving Rafiq behind.
He denied that the complainant was recovered on any political pressure. The police had conducted 47 raids at various places and took seven suspects in custody for interrogation, he said.
He said accused Riasat had demanded Rs1 million ransom for his release.
NAROWAL: Rafiq, a resident of Jhullan village in Gujranwala, was recovered at the Sri Rampura railway station when the accused were taking him to some other place by train after giving him some intoxicant.
The victim, reports said, regained consciousness and raised an alarm to attract police. However, the kidnappers jumped out of the train and fled. The train was about to move towards Baddomalhi.
Rafiq was later brought to the railway police post where he told journalists that he was kidnapped by his rivals who, he said, had forced him to endorse a reconciliatory document.
