KARACHI: In yet another shocking twist to the disappearance and recovery of two-year-old Azan Ali, the Sindh Police have arrested three suspects—unmasking the mastermind as a 22-year-old close friend of the child’s father who actively participated in the search operation to divert suspicion.
The suspect, identified as Ehtesham, reportedly orchestrated the kidnapping from Naya Nazimabad, Manghopir, out of financial greed. For three days, Ehtesham remained alongside the distressed parents, pretending to help in the search and earning praise from neighbors, all while secretly managing the operation.
Contradictory claims cloud recovery of abducted Karachi toddler
Police grew suspicious after noticing Ehtesham received frequent, unexplained phone calls during the rescue efforts.
Upon detailed interrogation, Ehtesham confessed to planning the abduction, revealing that he had scouted the family’s residence four times on a motorcycle before striking.
The suspect admitted leveraging his long-standing friendship with the victim’s father, Wahab Ali, and the child’s familiarity with him to carry out the snatching smoothly.
“We were childhood friends, and I knew he worked in construction and had money,” Ehtesham stated in his confession. “The child knew me well, so when I signaled to him, he came straight to me.”
According to investigative reports, after snatching the toddler, Ehtesham transported him to Jamshed Road and handed him over to his brother-in-law, Abdul Wahab. Abdul Wahab then drove the child on a motorcycle to the town of Gharo, where he was stashed with a third accomplice, Iftikhar.
Ehtesham further disclosed that he placed ransom demands using a foreign phone number. He cited financial desperation as his motive, claiming he was bitter after his request for a $Rs\,100,000$ loan for his sick daughter was previously turned down by the victim’s father.
Facilitators Arrested
Co-accused Abdul Wahab confirmed his role in transporting the child to Gharo. Meanwhile, the third suspect, Iftikhar, claimed in his initial statement that he kept the child at his residence for two to three days without realizing the toddler had been abducted, discovering the truth only after seeing news coverage on television.
All three suspects—Ehtesham, Abdul Wahab, and Iftikhar—are scheduled to be presented before a local court today as law enforcement completes the formal remand procedures and furthers the investigation.
