MANSEHRA, Dec 7: The Mansehra police on Monday arrested nine people on the charge of plotting to kidnap an official of the defunct Kund Devli Forest Cooperative Society and members of his family, and seized arms from their possession.

Sources said Syed Mehr Ali Shah, former managing director of the forest cooperative society, had filed an application to SSP Mansehra Sajid Ali Khan that Irshad Khan had planned to kidnap him and his family members with the intention to kill them and had sent armed men from Peshawar who were staying at a hotel in Mansehra.

On the orders of the SSP, a policy party headed by the DSP headquarters raided the hotel near the municipal bus stand on Monday evening and arrested nine people, while some of their accomplices escaped.

An official of an intelligence agency, Mohammad Rafique, was also arrested but later released. Police found three rifles, one pistol and 100 rounds from three vehicles which have been seized.

The accused, who were remanded in two days police custody on Tuesday by senior civil judge Sher Afzal Khan Marwat are: Saleem Javed, Lajbar, Haleem Shah, Samin Jan, Afghan national Attaur Rehman, Mohammad Ayaz, Fazal Rehan, Muqbali Khan and Hayat Khan, all residents of Peshawar.

Police have registered two FIRs. In the FIR No1097, the accused have been charged under sections 385, 506, 148 and 149 of the PPC and in FIR No1098, they have been charged under section 13 of Arms Ordinance.

Talking to reporters, Mehr Ali Shah said that instead of incorporating his written application in the FIR, police should on their own register a case for kidnapping with the intention of murder against the accused.