TOBA TEK SINGH: Police on Wednesday claimed to have recovered from Layyah a minor boy who was kidnapped a month ago, arresting four suspects, including a woman, allegedly involved in the kidnapping.

Addressing a press conference, where the recovered child and the arrested suspects were produced before the media, Saddar circle DSP Syed Asif Shah said that on April 17 nine-year-old Abdullah, son of Qasim of Muhalla Irfat, went to a barber’s shop for a haircut. As the boy was leaving the shop, a woman stopped him and lured him with toys, money and sweets to a street where her accomplices kidnapped Abdullah on a motorcycle, the DSP said.

He said the suspects, who were members of a kidnappers gang, took the boy to different places, including Bhakkar, Jhang, Mankera, Sarai Muhajir, Layyah and Kucha areas, where some other criminals lived in rented houses under the garb of electricians.

The DSP added that police traced the suspects through geo-fencing and other modern techniques and recovered from their custody the kidnapped child after arresting them in a raid in Layyah.

The arrested gang members were identified as Saima Siddiq of Chak 222-TDA (Layyah), Wasim Akram of Chak 233 GB, Jarranwala (Faisalabad), Dilawar Farhan Mohana and Siddiq of Chak 100/TDA (Layyah).

The DSP said that two of the arrested suspects -- Dilawar and Siddiq -- were proclaimed offenders in a murder case registered against them in 2004 by Fatehpur (Layyah) police.

When policemen brought the recovered child to Muhallah Irfat to reunite him with his parents, the locals showered them with rose petals to show their gratitude and appreciate their efforts to recover the child. District Police Officer Najeebur Rehman Bagvi has announced cash prizes for the police team that recovered the kidnapped child.

RAPE: A youth allegedly raped a mentally-challenged minor girl of a gypsy family at Pirmahal on Wednesday.

Complainant Kausar Bibi stated in the first information report (FIR) registered by Pirmahal police that she and her husband Hanif had gone out for begging, leaving their seven-year-old mentally-challenged daughter alone in their shanty at Mouza Khanjawan Wala.

On their return, the parents found their daughter injured and took her to Pirmahal Tehsil Headquarters Hospital where doctors told them that she was raped. On making inquiries, they were told by neighbours that the suspect had visited their shnaty in their absence.

The parents reported the matter to police, getting registered a case against the suspect.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2022