KARACHI: Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a quack doctor for murdering two minor brothers after kidnapping them for ransom in Machhar Colony within the remit of the Docks police station.

The police and family said that the brothers — Ahmed and Hasan, aged 8 and 10 respectively — were ‘kidnapped’ by the quack, Abdul Karim, who had planned to demand ransom from their families as he was facing financial difficulties and wanted to retire debt.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the two brothers had gone missing in Machhar Colony on Sunday afternoon. They had gone to a clinic near their residence in Jaffer Street. As their father, Siraj, expressed certain doubts, the police took into custody the quack for grilling.

During interrogation, the suspect revealed that he had kidnapped the brothers with the intention of demanding ransom from the family and locked them inside the clinic. He said he gave them ‘sleeping pills’ and when the boys became unconscious, he stuffed them in cloth and shopping bags and put the bags in the clinic.

When the police reached there, the boys had already expired, the DIG said, adding that the bodies were shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal formalities.

Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said there were signs that their hands and legs were tied. She said samples had been taken and the exact cause of death would be ascertained after chemical reports.

However, doctors were informed that the held suspect had told investigators that he had given tranquilisers to the children so that they could not cry.

The victims’ father told the media that the held suspect had planned to demand Rs40 million as ransom as he had borrowed Rs2.2m from someone and was not in a position to retire the debt.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2024