NAWABSHAH, June 22: Two kidnapped men – trader Ashok Kumar and his friend Salim Solangi -- were freed by kidnappers on Thursday evening. The kidnap victims were dropped at the Hyderabad bypass from where they were picked up by relatives and brought to Nawabshah.

Sources said that they were released by kidnappers after receiving Rs500,000 ransom through a deal struck with the help of a local landlord and politician. However, the police claimed that they were freed as a result of police efforts and no ransom had been paid.

Reports said that initially the kidnappers had demanded Rs10 million which was reduced to Rs2 million and at last to Rs500,000. The kidnappers also demanded release of a person who was arrested by the police after the kidnapping incident.

Mr Kumar and Mr Solangi were kidnapped by some men from Khadar road while they were returning to Sakrand after closing their business at Wer bus stop some three months ago.

DPO Dr Ghulam Sarwar Jamali and SP investigation Syed Ghayasuddin Rashidi claimed at a press conference on Friday that police efforts had led to safe recovery of the kidnapped men and no ransom was paid by their families. However, they could not tell about the place and time of release of the kidnap victims.

They said that four men namely Sajan Sohriyani alias Hyderi, resident of Kandhkot, Ali Bux Lund, Ghulam Rasool Machhi of Jamshoro and Shaman Ghallu of Nawabshah were involved in kidnapping and would soon be arrested.

They said that the police had arrested a number of persons. They claimed that the police avoided encounter with the kidnappers several times to ensure safe recovery of the victims.

When asked why Mr Kumar and Mr Solangi were not brought before the media, they said that they had to go to their village in the Thana Bula Khan area.