DSP, five others who abducted builder for ransom remanded

The anti-terrorism courts’ administrative judge on Tuesday remanded six suspects, including a deputy superintendent of police, in police custody in a case pertaining to the kidnapping a builder.

The Anti-Violent Crime Cell had arrested DSP Rashid Iqbal, his driver Head Constable Nasir, gunmen Nasir and Amir, and two others for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a builder, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, for ransom. The judge sought a progress report from the investigation officer of the case on the next hearing on Thursday (today).

According to the prosecution, Siddiqui was kidnapped by seven men – four in police uniform on a police mobile van bearing registration number BDP-149 and three in a Honda Civic car – on December 2 from Mughal Hazara Goth within the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police remits. They handcuffed and blindfolded the builder and shifted him to an isolated place.

Later, one suspect in police uniform introduced himself as assistant director of the National Accountability Bureau and demanded Rs10 million in ransom, but the builder was only able to arrange one million rupees, which the kidnappers received in the Sabzi Mandi area. The kidnappers also took signatures of the builder on different stamp papers before releasing him.

The police officer, who introduced himself as NAB officer, again phoned the builder on December 7 and asked him to bring Rs700,000 to a place in North Nazimabad, where the suspect took the money and went away, without returning him the stamp papers. The builder then approached the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police and registered a case on December 9, while the investigation was transferred to the AVCC.

During the probe, it was learnt that the builder was kept at the office of Saeedabad DSP Rashid Iqbal and the DSP’s mobile van was used in the kidnapping.