Karachi police arrest two over alleged abduction of young man in DHA

KARACHI: Police on Saturday said they had arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged assault of a young man in DHA Phase 8.

South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that Ibrahim Fahad and Waqar had been arrested in connection with the case.

He said a third suspect, Ibrahim Malik, had fled to Lahore, while a fourth, Irtiza, was still absconding.

According to the DIG, the incident appeared to have stemmed from a dispute involving a girl.

The first information report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn, was registered at Sahil police station in the early hours of Saturday on the complaint of Syed Ali Jafri. According to the FIR, the incident took place on the night of Aug 29.

The FIR invoked sections 34 (acts done by several persons), 337-A(i) (punishment of shajjah), 337-V(arsh for hair), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) and 506-B (criminal intimidation if threat be to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Jafri also spoke to the media on Saturday, recalling details of the incident and explaining that the “delay” in getting the FIR registered was because he had been threatened by the suspects against doing so.

In his complaint, Jafri said he “remained silent” after the incident as he was scared, but approached the police after the suspects shared his video on social media.

Jafri stated that he and his friend had gone to an e-gaming facility in Bukhari Commercial, where his friend’s acquaintance also joined them.

He said he had never met the acquaintance before. The three later went to a nearby cafe and, upon leaving, were approached by a vehicle that stopped in front of them. A man, whom Jafri identified as another acquaintance of his friend, then stepped out of the vehicle.

The man struck Jafri on the neck with a baseball bat, after which the friend’s acquaintance and “three unknown persons” accompanying him allegedly shoved the complainant into the vehicle and took him to an empty plot at Sahil Avenue in Phase 8, the FIR alleged.

He further alleged that he was beaten on his legs with the baseball bat and that his hair was pulled, causing some of it to come out. He was then asked to “eat them”, the FIR said.

Jafri said one of the unknown individuals was carrying a gun and that the attackers recorded a video of the assault. According to the FIR, he was shown pictures of his family members and threatened with similar action against them if he complained about the incident.

Jafri said he was taken back to Bukhari Commercial in the same vehicle. The complainant alleged that the suspects demanded Rs30,000 from him. By the time he reached home, he said, one of the suspects had already informed his family about the incident.

The complainant nominated the three as suspects in the FIR.

Last month, a scuffle took place in DHA’s Phase 6 between residents of two apartments, with an inquiry revealing that police officials were involved in the incident and recommending action against them.