Remand of Bisma and Mangi’s suspected kidnappers extended

The administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts on Tuesday extended the police remand of two suspects for five more days for interrogation into the kidnappings of Bisma Saleem and Dua Mangi.

The judge allowed Zohaib Qureshi and Muzaffar's physical remand till April 4, seeking a progress report from the investigation officer as well as ordering police to arrest the absconding suspects and present them at the next hearing.

The suspects were remanded in cases pertaining to kidnappings, attacking and injuring a personnel during am encounter and possessing illicit weapons. The investigation officer of the case told the court that Mangi had identified the suspects as her kidnappers during an identification parade before a South district judicial magistrate on March 30.

The IO added that the suspects' custody was required as they were to be presented for an identification parade in other cases against them.

Additional Inspector General of Police (Addl IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon had made the announcement on March 18 of the arrest of the kidnappers of Saleem and Mangi, who were abducted in May and November last year from the DHA within the jurisdiction of the Darakhshan police station, and were released later after the payment of hefty ransoms. Memon said that these cases were a major challenge to all the relevant law enforcement and intelligence security agencies. He said that the culprits still at large were dismissed assistant sub-inspector of police Agha Mansoor and his accomplices Shakeel and Kamran, alias Kami.

Their ringleader was Mansoor, who had provided his accomplices with SIM cards and other relevant assistance, he added.

Memon said the detained suspects had told the police that the plan to kidnap Bisma and Dua had been made by Mansoor, who had also rented a flat in Clifton Block-2, where both the abducted girls were kept until their release after receiving their ransoms. He said the suspects also admitted to trying to avoid being tracked down by using technical apparatuses, including social networking apps.

He said the detained suspects were habitual criminals, who had earlier been also involved in vehicle-lifting and other kidnappings, while a few months ago, their gang had been involved in a shootout with the police in District East within the jurisdiction of the Aziz Bhatti police station, but they had managed to escape, leaving a police constable injured.