LAHORE, June 20: Police claim to have recovered a two-and-a-half-year old boy within 24 hours of being kidnapped for ransom from a Shahdara locality and arrested two suspects.

DIG (Operations) Mohammad Tahir Rai told a news conference at his office on Wednesday that one of the kidnappers, identified as Arshad, was an employee of the victim’s father and the other was his accomplice, Ghulam Nabi.

Revealing details, the DIG said contractor Noor Ahmad of Water Land Park, Saggian Bridge, informed Shahdara police that his son, Bilal Noor, went to a shop near his house on June 19 and went missing. The family tried to trace the boy but in vain.

Later, the kidnappers contacted the family by phone and demanded a Rs0.2 million ransom.

Two police teams constituted for the purpose traced the location of the cell phone being used by the kidnappers in Okara, he said.

He said the suspects first asked parents to come to Deepalpur, Haveli Lakha, to deliver ransom amount. The first police team along with Noor Ahmad reached the location but the kidnappers did not come there.

They again telephoned the boy’s father and asked him to come to Head Sulemanki for the purpose. The second team, which was a few kilometres away from the first one, rushed to the scene and managed to arrest the suspects and recovered the boy.

The DIG told a questioner that the SHOs and Moharras who intentionally delayed registration of cases would be brought to the book.

He said though the crime rate in any society could not be brought down to zero level, it could be minimised for which police were making efforts.

Tahir said proper security would be provided to former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as per law till further orders.

SUSPENSION: DIG Tahir, during a visit to Samanabad police station on Wednesday, suspended Moharrar ASI Saleem for intentionally delaying an FIR.

The complainant told the DIG the Moharrar was not lodging the FIR despite the SHO’s orders.

The DIG also admonished the SHO for causing inconvenience to citizens.