JHANG, April 17: Police claimed on Thursday to have arrested four alleged kidnappers of a four-and-a-half-year-old girl and recovered the victim along with the ransom.

Reports said Zainab of Budhawala locality, Jhang, went missing while returning home along with her aunt from a tuition centre on March 22. After a few days, her father Sheikh Kashif received a phone call, demanding Rs2 million for her release.

Kashif filed an application with the Jhang district police officer who ordered registration of a case.

A police team, led by the Jhang city circle DSP, was formed to take up the investigation. In the meantime, telephonic negotiations between the kidnappers and Kashif continued and the former agreed on Rs200,000 ransom.

The victim’s father along with the police reached Kot Sanaba Town, Rahim Yar Khan district, and handed over Rs200,000 to one of the accused, who promised to release the girl on a later date.

A few days later, Kashif received another phone call, informing him that his daughter was present in a bus parked at the Jhang general bus stand. After the recovery of the girl, the police traced the call and arrested Asif from Sukhaki, Hafizabad. The police nabbed Ghulam Jaffar Gujjar, Nayyar Abbas Gujjar and Sajid Ali on Asif’s indication, recovered ransom and three mobile phones.

The accused told the police that they had rented a house in the Jhang Sadar area and were planning to abduct more children.

Talking to the media on Thursday, Jhang DPO Amjad Javed lauded the police performance and recommended prize for the team.