KARACHI: The escape of prime suspect, Zohaib Qureshi, in high profile kidnapping cases of Dua Mangi and Bisma Saleem, has raised questions over the police role in the escape.
CCTV footage and other facts of the escape have raised questions on performance of Sindh Police, which failed to trace the accused.
Bisma Saleem, was abducted outside her home in DHA by armed men travelling in a car in May, 2019. Dua Mangi, a law student, was kidnapped from the Bukhari Commercial area of the DHA in November same year.
Both kidnapped girls were returned after one week later allegedly following the payment of ransom.
Police had arrested Qureshi along with another accused, Muzaffar alias Moozi, on March 19, 2020, in connection with the two kidnappings.
Fleeing accused said to be an accomplice of Agha Mansoor. Two of them said to have main role in the kidnapping for ransom cases. Agha Mansoor was an officer of the specialized unit of Karachi Police.
“Zohaib Qureshi developed relations with policemen during court hearings of his case and greasing their palms with money,” police sources said.
“After gaining confidence of police, he made planning of escape some days ago,” officials said. “He had called his aides with a white coloured car at Tariq Road for escape,” police officials said.
“The policemen on duty committed negligence and benefited the fleeing accused with belated report of his escape,” officials said.
“Absconding accused could hide in Balochistan,” officials said. “He was also raising funds for a nationalist organization,” according to police.
Three accused in Dua Mangi and Bisma abduction cases, Agha Mansoor, Kamran Kami and Shakeel were already at large, now the fourth accused Zohaib Qureshi has also enlisted in the absconders list.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday took notice of the escape of Zohaib Qureshi, from police custody.
He directed the home secretary and inspector general of police (IGP) to take strict action against those responsible for the escape.
