An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former policeman Agha Mansoor Hussain for allegedly masterminding the high-profile DHA kidnappings of two women, who were released after their families paid hefty ransoms.
The ATC-II judge ordered the investigating officer to arrest the absconding suspect and present him before the court on the next date of hearing, which has been fixed for August 10.
Five suspects — namely Muzaffar Hussain, Tariq, Zohaib Qureshi, Waseem Raja and Fayyaz Solangi — are already in custody and awaiting their indictment. Police had recently charge-sheeted these suspects and Agha Mansoor Hussain, who had been dismissed from the police service due to his alleged involvement in criminal activities. They have been accused of abducting Dua Mangi in November 2019 from the upmarket DHA neighbourhood and shooting her friend Haris Soomro, who had tried to fight them off, resulting in critical injuries to him. Dua was set free after her family paid her ransom.
The same suspects have also been charge-sheeted for the earlier kidnapping of Bisma Saleem, who was abducted from DHA as well in May last year. She was also released after the payment of her ransom.
According to the investigators, both women were kept in a flat in Clifton. They said the forensic report of the weapons seized from Muzaffar Hussain and Qureshi had also matched with the bullet casings found at the crime scenes.
They also said the car used in the crimes was recovered from Solangi, who had been charge-sheeted under sections 201 and 202 of the Pakistan Penal Code, while the remaining suspects under kidnapping for ransom charges.
The Karachi police chief had on March 18 announced the arrests of Muzaffar Hussain and Qureshi for their alleged involvement in last year’s kidnappings of Bisma and Dua. Additional Inspector General of Police (Addl IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon made the announcement during a media briefing. Deputy Inspector General Arif Hanif and other officials from the police department as well as the Sindh Rangers were also present on the occasion.
Memon said Bisma was abducted on May 12 and Dua on November 30 from DHA, and their kidnapping for ransom cases were lodged at the Darakhshan police station. He said the investigations of both cases were conducted by the Criminal Investigation Agency, the Anti-Violent Crime Cell, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement departments.
He added that the Sindh government had been especially focusing on solving these cases, and in this regard, the province’s chief minister held several meetings to facilitate the police. The Addl IGP said the Karachi police, the Sindh Rangers, the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee and intelligence agencies were on the same page and worked together to solve these cases by analysing them from different aspects.
He said that these cases were a major challenge for all the relevant agencies, especially Dua’s kidnapping, which was highlighted in a manner that the state seemed helpless before the perpetrators because the investigators had seemingly failed to trace and arrest the culprits.
But, he added, the reality was different: the police and all the relevant agencies used the best of their resources and worked dedicatedly to trace the suspects believed to be involved in the case.
The police chief said Qureshi and Muzaffar Hussain were arrested in Karachi, adding that the weapons used in the kidnappings were also seized from them.
He said the culprits still at large were dismissed assistant sub-inspector of police Agha Mansoor Hussain and his accomplices Shakeel and Kamran, alias Kami. Their ringleader was the former cop, 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 the ex-policeman, who had also rented a flat in Clifton Block-2, where both the abducted women 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, but they failed in their attempt. He added that the CM appreciated the efforts made by the police and other departments, and that a request was also made to the chief executive for awarding Rs2 million to the raiding party.
The Addl IGP said they would also request the Sindh government to announce awarding Rs5 million as head money in the case of the culprits who were still at large. He said the detained suspects were habitual criminals, who were earlier also involved in vehicle lifting and other kidnappings, while a few months ago, their gang was engaged in a shoot-out with the police in District East, but they managed to escape, leaving a police constable injured.
He made the assurance that the police would provide complete security cover to Bisma and Dua’s families. He confirmed that none of the suspects possessed any political cover. He also confirmed that the gang comprised a female member, and that they conducted recce of their potential victims before their abductions.
