LAHORE: A businessman who was allegedly kidnapped in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) was released by kidnappers after receiving $20,000 ransom.

The victim, Khalid Sheikh, owns a biscuit factory and resides in DHA`s Phase IV.

The sources say he had a business dispute over Rs350 million with influential traders from Quetta, who allegedly masterminded the kidnap plot, using facilitators and kidnappers belonging to Lahore.

They say that a double cabin vehicle of the Lahore Waste Management Company(LWMC) was reportedly used to kidnap Sheikh. The kidnappers demanded Rs150 million for releasing the businessman and the deal was finally struck at $20,000, the sources say.

They say the kidnappers sent a man at Chungi Amar Sindhu Lahore to receive the amount with a secret code of `Amanat 5`, who was handed over money by a member of the victim`s family after confirming the code.

It is being alleged that the kidnappers bribed some officials in the investigation wing of Lahore police for `hushing up` the case that was lodged against five unknown armed men on the complaint of the victim`s brother, Sheikh Tariq.

A source says that an intelligence agency also informed its high commandabout the alleged bribing of investigation police officials by the kidnappers.

Mr Tariq alleged in the FIR that his brother was with his friends, Khurram Malik and Asad, late night on Sept 24 when a double cabin vehicle hit their car from the rear side near Sui Gas Society in the DHA.

He said that five armed men, three of them carrying kalashnikoves and two pistols, came out of the vehicle, bundled Khalid into it and drove away.According to the sources, the kidnappers obtained the ransom amount the next day, when Khalid told them that he had $20,000 cash at his residence to pay them immediately.

Lahore Cantonment Division SP Awais Shafiq says the police had traced one of the alleged facilitators of the kidnappersand handed him over to the investigation wing for further action.

He says the incident took place in the jurisdiction of the Defence B police which had lodged a kidnap caseagainst five unknown armed men following a call on helpline 15.

Lahore Investigation SSP Mohammad Naveed told Dawn the kidnap case was `highly sensitive` and the matter is under investigation, refusing to comment further on it till the completion of the investigations.

He confirmed that the businessman was released by the kidnappers after obtaining $20,000 ransom, saying that both parties were already in civil litigation over a disputed amount of Rs350 million.-Asif Chaudhry