GUJRANWALA, June 15: Naushera Virkan police claimed to have recovered a landlord kidnapped for ransom by a proclaimed offender some two weeks ago and arrested the accused on Sunday.

Haji Muhammad Ramzan of Muto Banokey village was ploughing the fields with the help of his tractor on May 28 last when armed PO Shafique alias Lalu and his two masked accomplices kidnapped him and took him to Faisalabad. On telephone, they demanded from his heirs Rs20 million ransom for the release. Later, they had been shifting him to Sheikhupura, Peshawar and other cities with continuous threats to his heirs of killing him if the ransom was not arranged. The matter was reported to DPO Saud Aziz who inducted SP Ziarat Kiani for the safe recovery of abductee.

Later, a raid was conducted on a hideout at Gojra Road, Faisalabad, and recovered Ramzan and arrested the accused and his accomplices.

The arrested accused were involved in dozens of cases of murder, dacoity, robbery and other heinous crimes.

A case has been registered against the accused.

Water connections: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has severed at least 225 water supply connections on the charge of non-payment of bills besides sending 3,225 challans to court for legal action.

This was stated by Wasa managing director Muhammad Aslam Niazi while talking to a delegation of citizens here on late Saturday.

He pointed out that the government had not provided any grant to Wasa for starting new projects so that the citizens could be provided adequate supply of potable water.

Instead, he said, the public representatives of Khanewal and Sangla Hill got approved Rs60 million for the supply of drinking water in their areas.

Within its own resources, he said the Wasa had made a master plan of one, three and 10 years for the supply of clean drinking water to citizens. For this purpose, he said the Wasa needed at least Rs500 million.