LAHORE: Lahore Crime Control Department (CCD) registered a case against its own police inspector and a constable, allegedly for kidnapping a trader for Rs50 million ransom.

Identified as Javed Iqbal, the inspector was posted at Kotwali CCD, while the co-suspect, constable Tausif, was at its headquarters.

Sharing the details, a police official said that the suspect collected information about a trader, Waleed Hussain, a resident of the Gajumata area of Kahna, through Constable Tausif.

After receiving the information, the CCD officer barged into the trader’s house in plainclothes and bundled him into a car that was rented for the purpose.

The suspect kept on driving the car on different city roads, continuously changing his location.

The police official said that the suspects also took away the victim’s two mobile phones, a laptop and some cash, besides the DVR installed at his residence.

Later, the suspects contacted Waleed’s parents and demanded Rs50 million as ransom for his release, the police official said, adding that they used the victim’s mobile phone to communicate with his parents.

The official said that Waleed’s parents got terrified and they told the kidnappers that they could not arrange such a huge amount immediately. At this, Javed got infuriated and threatened to kill Waleed if the amount was not paid.

The victim’s family then began to contact their close relatives to borrow the money and also decided to sell some valuables to pay the ransom for Waleed’s release.

Meanwhile, they got another call from the suspects, who first reduced the ransom amount to Rs20m and then to Rs10m. However, after bargaining, they agreed on Rs4m.

They asked the victim’s family to bring the amount near the Lahore High Court and then again changed the location to Shama Stop near Ichhra.

The official said Waleed’s father reached the given location and handed over Rs4m in cash to the suspects, who were in the car parked along the Ferozepur Road.

One of the suspects told him that his son would be released some two hours later, the source said, adding that after some time they dropped Waleed on a road.

The incident, which took place in the heart of the provincial capital,alarmed the CCD high-ups.

The Model Town CCD police lodged a kidnap case against the suspects soon after Punjab CCD Additional IG Sohail Zafar Chattha held an emergent meeting and declared it a test case for the department.

On his directions, a dedicated CCD team later traced and arrested the suspects.

Mr Chattha also directed the CCD Lahore to stay in touch with the victim’s family and urged them to pursue the case until the kidnappers are convicted.

According to reports, Mr. Chatha also visited the Model Town CCD office and personally questioned the suspects.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2025