KARACHI, Aug 30: A co-accused in Rs6 million ransom case, involving sons of three senior government officials, stated before a judicial magistrate that he abetted the kidnappers under death threats.

The gang of kidnappers, comprising sons of a senior superintendent of police, a senior preventive officer of Customs and a deputy controller of the Karachi Building Control Authority, was busted in mid-August.

Suspects Mujeeb Khan Bhutto and Ghulam Murtaza Khan Bhutto, both sons of SPO Rano Khan Bhutto, and their alleged accomplice Saeed Naqi were arrested in Manchester immediately after the delivery of the ransom and the subsequent release of the victim, Ahmed Naeem, son of a Mercedeze vehicle dealer, in Karachi.

A close liaison between Manchester and Karachi police authorities on investigation in the case led to the immediate arrest of Fida Khoso, son of SSP Nadir Khoso, and Junaid Ansari, son of KBCA official Abdur Rehman Ansari, and their alleged accomplice Qurban Khoso, in Karachi.

While recoding his confessional statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before Judicial Magistrate Abdul Qadeer Bururo of district South, accused Qurban Khoso stated that the kidnappers had brought the victim to his house on June 11.

He submitted that the accused threatened to kill him in case he did not keep the hostage at his house. He stated that he abetted the kidnappers out of life threats. A special team of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and Anti-violence Crime Cell (AVCC) started the investigation after the victim's father, Mohammed Ahmed of Shahnawaz Motors, reported the matter to the authorities.

The investigators intercepted the calls for ransom originating from Manchester. The kidnappers called the victim's family and initially demanded Rs50 million for his release. However, after a series of negotiations on phone from Manchester, the kidnapper agreed to the ransom of 56,000 pounds sterling (Rs6.1 million). The gang is also stated to be involved in the kidnapping of a builder, Mohammad Ali, who was release after the payment of ransom in Manchester.