Organised kidnapping racket busted, kingpin arrested

Islamabad:The Islamabad police, previous days, have seized a a number of kidnappers including the kingpin the organised racket involved in kidnapping for ransom activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa and the federal capital.

“The shark was a symbol of terror and fear among the people of KP. The KP police were trying to recapture the criminals for over one and a half decades but couldn’t get them because the racketeers have changed their hideouts,” the KP police, dealing with the case, said when contacted by this correspondent.

Bala Gujar was also wanted to KP Police in different heinous offences. But the KP police were reluctant to transfer the custody of the gangsters wanted for decades. The seven-member gang led by inciter – Mohammad Iqbal popularly known as Bala Gujar – kidnapped a businessman of Islamabad, Rehmat Niaz from G/10-1 in April 2020 and confined him in an apartment and demanded Rs50 million for his release but he managed to escape in the same night, people engaged in the investigation of the case said.

The gangsters traced the position of the complainant and kept an eye on his activities, said the first Information Report (FIR), adding, the complainant had filed his application with the Ramna Police Station but on June 22, Bala Gujar and his gangsters once again followed the Vego double cabin (YK-289-ICT) when Mohammad Arshad, driver of Rehmat Niaz was going to drop his friends – Anwar Zeb and Tariq Amin but Bala Gujar and his accomplices, equipped with lethal weapons, riding two vehicles, intercepted the Vego at traffic junction of G/10-1, in broad daylight, compelled the driver at gunpoint and kidnapped all the three riders with Vego and took them to an apartment in G/10 Markaz. The gangsters tortured the kidnapped people inhumanly but released two persons, Anwar Zeb and Tariq Amin with the condition to send the complainant, Rehmat Niaz to them.

Rehmat lodged a complaint with the Ramna Police about the incident of kidnapping his friends and driver. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sadar Zone, Sarfaraz Virk when contacted by this scribe, confirming the report, said, “Keeping in view of the sensitivity of the case, the police hierarchy constituted a team to hunt down the gangsters involved in the heinous crime,” adding that the team, using scientific means of investigation and detection, marked their hideout and conducted raid the targeted place and arrested four among seven suspects including Bala Gujar, Aon Mohammad Shaikh, Mohammad Siddique, and Rehman Gul.

The police recovered the driver, Vego and arms and ammunition used in the kidnapping offence, the SP said adding, while, the police were pursuing the suspects at large including Pervaiz, Ahmad Raza Baloch and Raheel Tanoli, Mohammad Rashid, SHO Ramna said when asked.

While talking to ‘The News’, Rizwan Abbasi, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan, who is advocating from the complainant side, said that the racket of the kidnappers were hardcore criminals, carrying bad record in the past and were wanted to KP police for a long.

“Muhammad Iqbal, resident of Mansehra was convicted and sentenced under sections 365-A/149 PPC r/w Section 7(e) ATA and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and moveable and immoveable property of accused/respondent was also forfeited,” Rizwan Abbasi said and added, on the second account he was also convicted and sentenced for a period of 10 years under section 20 of the offenses against property (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1997 read with section 7 of the ATA of 1997 and a fine, in default of payment in fine to undergo one-year rigorous imprisonment. On third account, he was also convicted under section 148/149 PPC read with section 7 of the ATA and sentence for a period of 2 years, the Advocate SCP said.

Rizwan Abbasi said that Bala Gujjar was a sign of fear in the area and accused in multiple cases of kidnapping for ransom, adding, it is important to mention that above mentioned Iqbal alias Bala Gujjar was sentenced and an appeal was rejected up till Supreme Court of Pakistan in spite of compromise, however, after rejection of above said appeal from the SCP, Iqbal alias Bala Gujjar got some order from Peshawar High Court by concealing the facts through fraud and misrepresentation and secured release. However, when his fraud was unveiled, Sou Moto notice was taken by the then Chief Justice Peshawar High Court through a Sou Moto Review Petition in 2013 and relief granted was recalled and the perpetual warrant was issued against the above mentioned Iqbal alias Bala Gujjar, Rizwan Abbasi concluded.

However, the Superintendent Central Adyala, Rawalpindi has received a letter from the District Police Officer, Mansehra for the transfer of the convicted Mohammad Iqbal alias Bala.

An FIR (No. 274) under sections 365/341/382/344/507/427/148/149 PPC was registered with the City Police Station, Mansehra.

The concerned documents and court order was attached with the letter, saying, “It is requested that the convicted accused maybe transferred to the Central Jail Haripur after the compilation of his trial proceeding of the case registered by Islamabad Police.

SHO/inspector Muhammad Javed of PS City Mansehra is deputed to serve the perpetual warrant upon the above convicted accused through Jail authority,” jail sources disclosed.

DIG (Operations) Waqaruddin Syed, when contacted, termed it as an appreciable performance of the Islamabad police as they unearthed a buried case that was beyond imagination.