KASUR: The A-Division police rescued a transgender and arrested four kidnappers on Monday after a brief encounter at a factory near Chak 65 in Kot Radha Kishan.

The police also recovered illegal weapons from the captors. Afzal Dogar, Fakhar Zaman, Akbar Mochi, and Ansar Abbas allegedly kidnapped transperson Sono and took her to an undisclosed place.

A complaint was filed with the police protection centre. This was the first application that the centre received after it was established under the direction of IG Police.

A team headed by SHO Iftikhar Joyia arrested Dogar and Zaman. Later, behind their identification, the police raided the factory in Kot Radha Kishan, where Sono was detained.

According to SHO Joyia, seeing the police party at their hideout, the suspects opened indiscriminate fire that was retaliated against. After a brief encounter, the police party arrested the remaining two suspects and recovered the kidnapped person. Accomplices of the suspects escaped.

Later, police lodged a case against 18 people, four of whom were nominated under sections 365 (kidnapping any person), 377 (unnatural offence), 324 (murder attempt), 353( to deter a public servant by force from the discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing a public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 148 (unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons), and 149 (commission of a wrongful act) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The police said that it was an inter-district gang that kidnapped only transgenders, snatched the money, and gold ornaments, and gang-raped them in Kasur, Okara and Lahore.

In a separate incident, a transperson attempted suicide at Kot Ghulam Muhammad locality, within the limits of Sadar police station, for some personal reasons. Transperson Saim, took poison to end her life. Rescue 1122 shifted the transperson to DHQ Hospital for medical aid. Police were looking into the matter.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2023