ISLAMABAD: A child kidnapped for ransom three days ago was found dead in a house in Dhoke Jillani on Tuesday.

A police officer told Dawn that the five-year-old’s hands and legs were tied and tape was wrapped around his face.

“The kidnappers had bundled the boy in a cupboard where he died,” he added.

Five people, including a cousin of the victim, have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder case, he added.

The boy disappeared at around 4am on Dec 21 from his house at Dhoke Jillani. The police registered a case on the complaint of the boy’s father, who works in the Oil and Gas Development Company.

Five people, including boy’s cousin, have been arrested by police

Separate teams constituted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) City Zone Zeeshan Haider carried out a door-to-door search, another police officer told Dawn. Sniffer dogs were also used to trace the whereabouts of the boy but without success.

During geo-fencing of the area, some mobile phone numbers were detected that were registered in the name of one person but showed different locations but connected with each other at the time of boy’s disappearance.

After three days, the police picked the man on whose name the numbers had been registered. During interrogation, he confessed to kidnapping the boy. He also disclosed the location where the boy was kept in the custody of one of his accomplices. The suspect also identified his other accomplices.

The officer said one of the accomplices was the victim’s cousin and a next door neighbour. The police also picked him up and later raided the rented house, which was a 15 minute walk from the victim’s house.

“During the search of the house, the police found the body of the boy stuffed in a cupboard,” he said.

The body was shifted to hospital for an autopsy after which the police arrested two more accomplices, as well as the woman who owned the house.

During interrogation, four of the suspects, aged between 20 and 22, revealed that they had planned to kidnap the boy for ransom two months ago and rented the house. One of the suspects rented the house and another arranged SIM cards from a mobile franchise with the help of a friend who worked there.

“The suspect’s friend also arranged unregistered SIMs to make ransom calls,” the officer added. The third suspect was given the task of taking care of the boy at the house till payment of the ransom.

The cousin picked up the boy from his house and drove him to the rented house and detained him there.

“As the police launched a massive search operation in the area, the kidnappers became frightened and after two days parted from each other and did not make any ransom call.”

On the third day, the officer said, the suspect tasked with taking care of the boy gave him sedatives. When the boy lost consciousness, the suspect wrapped his face with tape, and then bundled him in the cupboard and left the house.

The boy remained unattended and died in the cupboard, said the officer.

According to the suspects, they did not plan to kill the boy but also had no strategy how to release him after getting the ransom as his own cousin was among his abductors, said the officer.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2019