KARACHI: Police on Saturday claimed to have recovered an allegedly kidnapped man from the office of the director general of the excise department early on Saturday.

They said a ransom of Rs2 million was demanded for the release of the man, identified as Ali Hussain.

Pirabad SHO Mohammed Wasim said police carried out a raid at the DG-Excise office located on the main I.I. Chundrigar Road, recovered Ali Husain and arrested one excise constable and two private persons.

He said Husain was ‘kidnapped’ from his home in New Mianwali Colony of Orangi Town and the family lodged an FIR under Sections of kidnapping and dacoity as the kidnappers forcibly entered his house and looted gold and cash from the inmates.

He said neither senior excise officers were aware that the kidnapped person was kept in their office nor the excise department had informed the police about the raid and arrest of Husain from their area of jurisdiction.

Police say no senior official of excise dept was aware of ‘abducted’ man’s presence in their office

Answering a question, the SHO said he was not aware if the held person was involved in drug peddling or not.

But a senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said that the recovered person had ‘links with drug peddlers’.

The police registered a case against the arrested excise constable and two private persons on charges of kidnapping for ransom, dacoity and forcible entry to the house of the abducted person.

According to the FIR (875/2021) lodged by Kashif Afridi, son of Ali Husain, around 15 men and one woman travelling in ‘two police-like mobiles’ arrived at their home at around 5am on Oct 1. Three of them wore ‘police-like uniforms’. They broke the door of their home. Seven or eight of them were carrying sub-machine guns and pistols.

They took two tola gold ornaments from a box, snatched Rs150,000 and a mobile phone from his brother, Mohammed Shoaib, and took away his father Ali Husain along with his cell phone.

The complainant said he noted registration number of one of the vehicle, which was GS-7074. While leaving the home, the kidnappers also took away the CCTV camera and DVR from their home.

He said the same day at around 8pm, he received a call from the phone of his father and the caller demanded Rs2 million as ransom for the release of Husain. The caller also threatened him of dire consequences if he failed to arrange the money, he added.

‘Street robber’ killed

An alleged robber was shot dead while a police constable wounded in an encounter in New Karachi Industrial Area late on Friday night, said police.

Central SSP Malik Murtaza said two suspects after looting a citizen were fleeing when a police party on patrol reached there.

In the ensuing encounter constable Shakir and a suspect were wounded, who were taken to Abbasi Shaheed hospital where the suspect died. His identity remained unclear. His accomplice escaped.

The SSP said three snatched mobile phones, one 30-bore pistol and a motorbike were recovered.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2021