LAHORE, March 3: A trader, who had been kidnapped by some people from the Naulakha area on Thursday, was poisoned to death under mysterious circumstances in Misri Shah late Friday night.

The Naulakha SHO said Mobeen informed the police that his brother Mudassir, 35, dealing in coil cables on Brandreth Road, had received a call on his cell phone about some purchase order. Mudassir, father of two children, informed his employee Hafeez and left for Sherakot, Bund Road, to deliver the order but did not return.

After some time, he dialed Mobeen’s cell number and informed him that he had been kidnapped by some people who were taking him to Muridke and demanding Rs1 million as ransom. Finally a Rs0.5 million ransom was settled.

The kidnappers asked Mobeen to drop the money bag at a specified place near the city railway station, saying his brother would be released, the police said.

On Friday night, the accused threw Mudassir’s body near a cement godown at Signal Stop in Misri Shah.

The SHO said the accused had administered some poisonous substance to Mudassir before dropping him, adding the police had recovered a SIM. He said as soon as the police activated the SIM, Mobeen dialed the number to locate Mudassir’s position.

Misri Shah police then informed the Nolakha police which removed the body to the city morgue while a case was registered against the unidentified kidnappers on the complaint of Mobeen.

SUFFOCATED: A labourer was suffocated owing to a gas leak at a local factory in Township area on Saturday.