ATTOCK, Sept 4: Two persons, who were kidnapped almost a month ago, reached their homes a day before Eid after their families paid Rs900,000 ransom to the abductors, police said on Sunday.

The sources said Mohammad Inayat and Mohammad Ishfaq, residents of Asghar village in the limit of Hazro police station, were kidnapped as they were crossing the underpass near Chacch Interchange on Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) two days before the start of Ramazan.

The kidnappers, through a middleman, a resident of Hattian village, demanded ransom for their release and also warned them against contacting the police otherwise they would kill the two men, sources said. However, the families conveyed to the kidnappers their inability to pay ransom. After month-long negotiations, they settled on Rs900,000 which they paid to the kidnappers.

On information, Hazro police under the supervision of SP Investigation Yaha Hassan Virk interrogated the released men on Saturday.

However, the police have suspicion about the veracity of the incident.

When contacted, SP Investigation Yahya Hasan Virk said he recorded the statements of the released men. He said the police were also collecting information about the role of a middleman in getting the abductees released. He said after verifying the facts in the light of theabductees’ statements and other evidence, the police would trace the kidnappers soon, he assured.

It is worth mentioning here that many incidents of kidnapping for ransom and robberies in different areas of Hazro police station during the last a few months have created a sense of insecurity among the people as an owner of a plaza of Jatiyal village Malik Safdar and MCB Manager Mohammad Ilyas were kidnapped on June 28 and Aug 10 respectively.

After 45 days, Mohammad Safdar was found dead in Peshawar district on Aug 9. However, Mohammad Ilyas was luckily enough as he was released from the abductors by the police.— Our Correspondent