HYDERABAD: After spending 45 days in captivity, a kidnapped man has been released by dacoits in Kashmore, his family and police confirmed on Wednesday.

Sunil Kumar, the brother of the kidnap victim, told Dawn on phone from Kashmore that Sagar Kumar had reached home on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. He was kidnapped on Aug 9.

“SSP-Kashmore Rohail Khoso brought him home late last night,” Sunil said, adding that Sagar was unwell and perhaps suffering from malaria.

“I have brought him to a clinic for laboratory tests. He can’t speak for now as he has been feeling unwell,” he said.

Sunil denied that any ransom had been paid for the release of Sagar.

Police sources told Dawn that Sagar and some other hostages had been released by riverine area dacoits following a ‘hostage swap deal’.

“In some cases women family members of dacoits were picked up by police and then police and dacoits swapped hostages,” said a police source.

Sagar, who was a grocery shop owner in Kashmore city, was kidnapped in the same area on Aug 9. Two other men, Mukhi Jagdesh and Jaideep, were also kidnapped from the same city and later recovered.

SHRC welcomes release

In a statement, the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has welcomed the recovery of Sagar Kumar and called for rescuing the remaining hostages as well.

The commission acknowledged efforts of police in recovery of Mukhi Jagdesh, Jaideep Kumar and Dr Muneer Naich, who were recovered earlier this month and reunited with their families.

The SHRC asked the Sindh police to recover the remaining victims, including Nazia and Kausar Khoso, Zaheer Kaladi, Tariq Domki and others, who are still in captivity of bandits as per complaints received from their families during SHRC fact-finding mission in the district.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023