Pak police rescue Juhi’s uncle from Huji abductors

The Pakistani law-enforcement agencies have finally secured Satish Anand, a renowned film producer and distributor, besides being actress Juhi Chawla’s uncle and a personal friend of president Asif Ali Zardari, from the troubled North West Frontier Province (NWFP). 

Unidentified men had abducted Satish Anad from Karachi on October 21, when he was driving home. The authorities arrested five militants belonging to the Harkatul Jehadul Islami (HuJI) led by commander Ilyas Kashmiri. The abductors had demanded a huge raonsom for releasing him but settled for Pakistani Rs10.6 million. Investigations conducted by the Anti-Violent Crime Cell of Karachi Police traced the kidnappers to Bannu city in NWFP.

Security personnel posing as Anand’s family members delivered the ransom money to the kidnappers on Saturday and after securing Anand’s release mounted a crackdown on the group and arrested five suspects. As soon as the operation was over, Satish Anand was shifted to Islamabad where he is expected to see Zardari.

Police sources say the victim was released after one of their accomplices, major (retd) Haroon-ur-Rasheed, was arrested in Punjab. Satish Anand’s release took almost six months despite the fact that Pakistani president Asif Zardari had given six days to the law enforcement agencies to recover his friend.

A former chairman of the Pakistan Film Censor Board, a well-known figure in the world of television, newspapers and advertising, Satish had been Juhi Chawla’s host twice in the past during her trips to Karachi.