BAHAWALPUR: The Lodhran police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested two suspects, who had abducted a two-and-a-half-years old daughter of a businessman for Rs600 million ransom on Eid day.

At a hurriedly-called presser, District Police Officer (DPO) Kamran Mumtaz said the two suspects -- Zeeshan and his friend Kamran -- were arrested by police with the help of geo-fencing and IT gadgets operated by police’s IT expert Imran Cheema.

He added that the prime suspect, Zeeshan, was a friend of abducted girl Hurian’s father Waqas.

He said Zeeshan kidnapped Hurian at the gate of Waqas’ house on Eid day and drove her away in a car.

The DPO said that to avoid being traced, the suspects had left their mobile phones at their residences, when they committed the crime.

They had demanded Rs600m ransom

He said that to trace the suspects, the police experts screened footage of over 400 CCTV cameras, and learnt that they took the girl from Lodhran to Bahawalpur.

The police, he said, blocked all the exit points of Bahawalpur, confining the suspects to the city area. As a result, the suspects were forced to drop the toddler outside Bahawalpur Zoo during night time and surrender to the police.

The DPO said that a car without number plate, used by the suspects in the crime, has also been recovered and police were interrogating them.

He announced that the police investigation team which traced the suspects would be rewarded.

The DPO said the other accomplices of the kidnappers would also be arrested soon.

LPG DECANTING: The civil defence department officials claim to have got registered 42 FIRs against the shopkeepers for illegal decanting of LPG during 185 raids in the last four days.

Officials said the cases had been forwarded to police stations concerned for the arrest of the suspects across the district.

REVENUE: According to Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa, recovered revenue amount to the tune of over Rs140 million during the last week was deposited in the exchequer.

The DC said this while presiding over a meeting of revenue officials on Wednesday and directed the officials to ensure hundred percent recovery of government dues by June 30.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024