CHINIOT: A nine-member drum beater and dance troupe was allegedly kidnapped for ransom on Feb 25.

Reports said drum beaters were hired by someone on social media for Rahim Yar Khan who sent them Rs6,000 advance money via Jazz Cash to perform at a marriage function.

When they reached Rahim Yar Khan by a van, they were allegedly kidnapped and the captors demanded Rs10 million for their release.

Rajoa police have registered a first information report on the application of their relative Muhammad Nawaz.

In the FIR lodged under section 365 of Pakistan Penal Code, Nawaz said his family members had formed a drum beating and dance party to entertainand perform at marriage functions.They have also made a social media page for booking. He said someone from Rahim Yar Khan booked them for a marriage function at Kot Mithan to be held on Feb 25 and sent Rs6,000 via Jazz Cash as advance money.

He said the group members comprising Ansar Ali, Shafgat Ali, Muhammad Bilal, Imaeel, Mushtaq Ahmad, Qamar Abbas, Tayyab Rehman, Noman Ijaz, Mazhar Ali went to Rehim Yar Khan on their carry van on the night of Feb 24.

He said their cell phones were found offline and after 24 hours, some suspects called him and demanded Rs10 million ransom for their release and threatened to kill them in case of non-payment.

The complainant have urged the authorities concerned to launch an operation for the release of his family members.FERTILISER: Hoarded fertiliser was sold to farmers at government fixed rates here on Tuesday.

The district administration had made announcements in adjoining villages about sale of the urea at controlled rate.

As many as 800 bags of hoarded urea were sold to farmers under supervision of the officials of district administration.

Reports said hundreds of farmers with their proofs of holding farmland thronged the secret warehouse of a fertiliser dealer to get urea at fixed rate.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Chiniot Muhammad Asif Raza raided a secret warehouse established in residential area of Jhumra Road where hoarder Farooq Gujjar had kept 800 bags for its sale in the black market at inflated rates.

The deputy commissioner directedthe agriculture department to send a letter to Saddar police station for registration of criminal case against Farooq.

The sale proceeds worth Rs1,782,000 were deposited with the national exchequer while the agriculture department had also initiated departmental action against the dealer for cancellation ofhisfertiliser sale licence.

It merits mentioning that Farooq Gujjar is president of fertiliser dealers association, Chiniot, and has allegedly been involved in blackmailing the district administration by strikes and allegations against the agriculture department officials.

On his complaint, a former DC had also got transferred deputy director (agriculture) Mehfooz Ahmad and assistant director Amjid Ali who tried to enforce the online record management of sale of fertiliser to farmers.