LAHORE: Muzaffargarh police claimed on Friday to have killed four suspects allegedly involved in kidnapping the father of a social media vlogger three days ago.

TikToker Vella Munda, Muhammad Shehzad Malana of Chowk Munda’s father Sadiq Hussain Malana was kidnapped from his house six days ago. Vella Munda and his wife were in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah at the time of the incident.

He appealed to the chief minister on social media from Saudi Arabia to take measures to recover his father safely. He also appealed to the kidnappers to release his father immediately.

Meanwhile, in an intelligence-based operation, a police team conducted a raid at the hideout of the alleged kidnappers in the Thal desert.

Police claimed that in an exchange of fire, four suspected kidnappers Naveed, Jamshaid, Muddassir and Saleem were killed and one of their accomplices fled the scene.

The police team succeeded in recovering the abductee late on Thursday night and shifted him to the city.

Muzaffargarh District Police Officer (DPO) Ghazanfar Ali Shah told Dawn that the abductee was recovered in an intelligence-based operation in the Thal desert. He said that one of the kidnappers fled the scene after taking advantage of the darkness, while four others were killed in an encounter.

Vella Munda is a well-known vlogger from south Punjab.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2025