ISLAMABAD: Police officials from Punjab, Sindh and Islamabad have been accused of being involved in kidnapping for ransom. Two members of the gang have been arrested so far.

A property dealer from Attock, Asadullah, was kidnapped from Wah Cantt on Aug 28, police officers said. They said Asad constructs houses in Wah Cantt to sell.

Asad is said to have opened the door on that day to a man posing as a buyer. He was later held at gunpoint, according to the FIR, after which two men in police uniform and two others, showed up at the house and handcuffed him.

The party was joined by four more people and they took Asad to Rawalpindi where they held him in a house after an hour’s drive.

He was detained for four days during which he was moved between houses during the night and day. They first demanded Rs9.5 million as ransom and later also asked for two Prius cars.

The men then agreed to Rs400,000 in ransom which was paid by the victim’s brother to one of the kidnappers at a hotel in Attock.

A case was registered with the Saddar Wah Cantt police on charges of kidnapping for ransom against six policemen.

Six of the kidnappers have been identified as police officials including an ASI, a head constable and four constables. One is a former constable and two are yet to be identified.

Asadullah told Dawn the men took him to Rawalpindi in his own car.

“I was detained in the house with eight other people who were kidnapped from Lahore, Peshawar and Charsadda for ransom,” he said, adding that the SP’s team include officials from Sindh as well.

A police officer told Dawn that after the registration of a case, two of the police officers nominated in the FIR were arrested.

During the interrogations, they disclosed information about their accomplices, all of whom are police officials.

Two of the officials are from the Sindh police working in Rawalpindi on deputation, one is from Islamabad and the rest are officials of the Rawalpindi police.

The matter was brought to the attention of City Police Officer (CPO) Abbas Ahsan and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Fayyaz Dev.

The RPO and CPO Rawalpindi were not available for comment despite repeated attempts.

When contacted, Station House Officer Wah Sub-Inspector Zahiruddin Babar confirmed the kidnapping for ransom case and the arrest of the two police officials. He said the investigation is in its early stages.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2018