RAWALPINDI: The police have solved a kidnapping for ransom case and arrested three persons including the ‘abductee’, who scripted the kidnapping drama to extort money from his brother living in Saudi Arabia.

SSP Operations retired flight-Lt Hafiz Kamran Asghar said that the kidnapping for ransom case has been solved with the arrest of three persons including the abductee who turned out to be the “kidnapper” of himself.

The Naseerabad police had registered a case on the complaint of the father of the abductee and launched an investigation.

Abdul Khaliq, a resident of Chakra, father of the abductee in his complaint said that his son Sajid Mehmood, 43, had left his house one week ago but did not return.

He said that four days ago he received a phone call which was made from Sajid’s mobile phone from an unidentified person who told him that his son was in his captivity and demanded Rs1 million for his release.

He said he had been receiving calls from Sajid’s mobile phone for the last four days and the caller has also been allowing his son to talk to him.

He said in the complaint that the kidnappers also contacted his younger son Mohammad Abid who is in Saudi Arabia and demanded Rs50,000 from him.

The SSP Operations said that shortly after the case was registered the scope of investigation was expanded during which it emerged that the victim Sajid Mehmood along with his friends had staged the kidnapping.

SSP Operations had formed teams headed by SP Pothohar and SDPO Cant to arrest the accused and recover the abductee.

Police said the ‘victim’ and his two friends were traced and finally arrested by the police from Gulshanabad area.

The motive behind the ‘kidnapping’ was to extort money from Sajid’s brother who had settled in Saudi Arabia, police said.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024