ISLAMABAD: A man has been arrested on the charge of trying to abduct a nine-year-old girl.

Investigation officer ASI Mohammad Anwar told Dawn that the girl’s father, a CDA official, was admitted to the medical ward of Polyclinic. She along with her uncle and grandmother visited the hospital to meet him.

After meeting her father, the girl was sent out of the room so that her uncle could change his father’s dress. Later, when her uncle came out of the room, the girl had disappeared.

A search was conducted and the hospital staff was also informed about it. In the meantime, the relatives of the girl spotted a man coming out of a bathroom followed by the girl.

The relatives caught the suspect and informed the police. The police reached the spot and took him into custody.

The family suspected that the man had attempted to abduct the girl, the IO said. During a preliminary investigation the man failed to satisfy the police about his visit to the hospital.

He told the police that had had come to meet his friend who was admitted to the hospital. When the police verified the name given by the suspect it emerged that the patient had been discharged three days ago.

The police approached a brother of the suspect living in Dhoke Khaba, who said the suspect was living with his father in Taxila but left the house four months ago after their father contracted a second marriage.

The IO said the suspect was staying at different places, mostly in shrines in the capital.

He was produced in the court of a magistrate from where he was sent on two days’ physical remand.

Meanwhile, burglars broke into the house of Ahsan Ali Shah in H-13 and made off with electronic equipment, household articles and Rs300,000 cash. Moreover, a motorcycle was stolen from the parking area of Centaurus Shopping Mall.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2019