KABUL (Pajhwok): Izzatullah, a displaced person from northern Kunduz province in capital Kabul, says his seven-year-old son kidnapped nine months ago could be traced despite the arrest of three suspects.
The father complained the detained individuals had confessed to their crime but the fate of his son, Atiquallah, was yet to be known.
A resident of Khanabad district of Kunduz province, Ezatullah currently lives in Bagrami district of Kabul.
He told Pajhwok Afghan News his son was kidnapped in Kabul after they returned from Pakistan and started living in a residential building belonging to a person named Gulbahar in Tarakhel area of Deh Sabz district.
“One that day, I and my two sons, Atiqullah and Rahatullah, had a lunch with Gulbahar, on August 12, 2018, but when I left the guest house, a few minutes later my son Rahatullah came to me and said the home owner took away Atiqullah,” he said.
He said Gulbahar had requested him during the lunch to let his two sons go with him to his garden, but he rejected.
Izzatullah said he then went to Gulbahar’s garden to look for his son and take him back, but he did not find him there.
“When I contacted the home-owner via telephone the same day, he said he did not take Atiqullah with him and then three days later a person phoned me and said my son had been kidnapped and demanded $50,000 in ransom,” the father said.
“It was 3am at midnight when I received the call, the phone number was not known to me, but I recognized the voice was of Gulbahar,” he said.
Izzatullah, who runs a well drilling machine, said his economic condition was not good and was unable to pay $50,000 in ransom.
He said he reported the issue to police on the first day of his son’s disappearance but he did not mention Gulbahar in his claim letter.
He said Gulbahar continued to pretend helping him in finding Atiqullah. “I did not directly hold Gulbahar responsible because I have been secretly trying to find a clue to my son’s whereabouts from Gulbahar,” he said.
“Gulbahar told me he wants to meet someone about son’s case, we agreed with him and I gave him a bike with a horn that can be remotely turned on, we chased him and found him in an apartment in the 19th police district in Kabul city with the help of the horn, we contacted police and arrested Gulbahar from there, but we could not find my son,” he said.
Izzatullah then wrote a suit signed by many local elders to the Presidential Palace.
In this letter, he said, “The accused, Gulbahar, has confessed to kidnapping my son and has also named some of his partners as Mohammad Ghalib and Gulzada from Deh Sabz district who are also arrested, their cases are shared with the primary court of second police district where Gulbahar was sentenced to 19 years in jail for the crime.”
He said there was still no clue and information about his son’s life and security and detective organs had so far taken no serious measures about the issue.
He asked the Presidential Palace in his letter to order security and detective organs as well as attorney of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) to take needed measures on the regard.
Text of the verdict “You Mohammad Ghalib and Gulzada who are accused of kidnapping, are innocent as there are no any compelling reasons and evidence on the ground based on the article fifth of penalty code, and you (Gulbahar), accused of theft are innocent as there are no evidence available as per the article fifth of the penalty code, but you are sentenced to three years in jail over terrorism related crimes and your involvement in kidnapping a child…)
However, the General Department of judicial investigation of the primary attorney, said based on the second police district of Kabul information Gulbahar accused of theft had been sentenced to 16 years in jail under the article 19 of law of counterterrorism.
Compelling reasons against accused Ghaleb
Gulbahar, accused of theft, during his interrogation introduced Mohammad Ghaleb as his father in this case.
Gulbahar and Mohammad Ghaleb were both directed to bring Attiqullah to the garden and later handed him Gulzadah involved in the incident.
Compelling reasons against Gulzadah, son of Khanzadah.
Gulbahar, accused of theft, during his interrogation introduced Gulzadah as his partner in the case.
Izzatullah has accused Gulzadah along with Gulbahar of kidnapping his child.
The case has been referred to the Attorney General Office (AGO) for further investigation.
Izzatallah said he was in trouble because the AGO was sending him to NDS and NDS was sending him back to AGO. “I want my son, why the government has not been able to find my son as Gulbahar had claimed he handed over my son Attiqullah to Ghaleb who handed him over to Khanzadah.
He said he would not accept the primary court verdict as his son’s fate remained unknown. “How can the court make such a decision?”
Pajhwok tried to seek comment of the AGO but officials there said they were not allowed to speak to the media.
Pajhwok contacted AGO’s spokesman Jamshid Rsouli who promised to discuss the issue with the relevant attorney and come up with response, but he was yet to respond back.
mds/pk/ma
