SAHIWAL, March 22 “Beware if a girl is calling you on a cell phone for a court marriage,” Ghotki (Sindh) police has warned people, especially from Punjab.

The warning came when Sindh police recovered two men who were kidnapped for ransom from Deharki (Ghotki district) 10 days ago. Kidnappers had demanded Rs3 million for the release of Muhammad Asghar Faraz, the reader of a senior civil judge of Sahiwal, and Yasir, a taxi driver belonging to 153/9-L village, Kameer, Sahiwal.

Pervaiz Ahmed Chandio, Ghotki DPO, led the recovery operation in village Lal Patafi during which the kidnappers succeeded in escaping.

Court reader Asghar Fraz, father of three, reportedly developed intimacy with a woman on mobile phone three months back. The woman informed Asghar that she was daughter of a feudal having a lot of property and land in her name in Ghotki. She convinced Asghar for court marriage as she claimed her family would not let her marry according to her will.

Moved by her pleas, Asghar hired a taxi and left for Dehrki on March 13 for contracting a court marriage. Two days later his family received calls from kidnappers who demanded Rs3 million for the release of Asghar and the taxi driver. The family did not report the matter to Sahiwal police until Dawn carried the report on March 15.

After repeated telephonic contacts, Asghar's family agreed to pay Rs2.5 million to the kidnappers. His brothers Hasir Ali and Liaqat Ali, along with Mian Mushtaq, a former nazim of UC 35, left for Ghotki to pay ransom on Sunday (March 21).

Ghotki DPO Pervaiz Ahmed Chandio told Dawn that he learnt through his own sources that a few people from Punjab were coming to pay ransom money in his district. “I took DSP Imtiaz and some other policemen on board and followed the ransom payers. Latter I sought the help of police from two sub-divisions. Around 10pm on Sunday 200 policemen succeeded in surrounding Lal Patafi,” Chandio said.

According to the DPO, a search operation was conducted in the village for two hours during which an exchange of fire with the kidnappers also took place. Later, police succeeded in recovering Asghar and Yaser from a house but the kidnappers had fled.

The DPO announced release of the kidnapped men in a press conference in Ghotki on Monday.

Talking to this correspondent by phone, Pervaiz Chandio said some gangs from Sindh were involved in luring innocent people from Punjab through girls. “These girls call a person by phone, develop intimacy with him and then invite him to Sindh. It is there they are kidnapped by gangs.” The DPO said each gang comprised 20 to 25 people, including girls.

“I warn residents of Punjab to be careful in this matter. Do not travel to Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad in south Punjab and Ghotki to meet your love for court marriage,” Chandio said.

Dawn learnt from authority that Ghotki police were searching two more people, both residents of Khanewal, who were also kidnapped in the same fashion.