Cops foil daylight kidnap attempt, rescue 20-year-old within 2 hours

Swift action by the Jawali police in Nurpur police district today foiled a bid to abduct 20-year-old Salima, a member of the nomadic Gujjar community, at Basatpur near Jawali. Salima was travelling on a tractor with her brother Sher Ali when six men in a black Scorpio (JK02CV-1312) intercepted them. Brandishing a pistol, the assailants forced Salima into their vehicle and sped away, hitting several other vehicles during their escape.

On receiving a kidnapping complaint from the victim’s brother, the Jawali police immediately sealed all inter-state barriers in the district. A police team armed with firearms launched a pursuit and traced the abductors’ route. The victim’s family was returning to their native Kaliejpur village in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, from the Pong Dam reservoir area.

The accused first attempted to cross the Kandwal barrier in Nurpur, but on spotting the police, diverted towards the Bodh-Chakki-Dhar link road. Their path was again blocked at Kapadi barrier in Hadal panchayat, forcing them to turn back along the Ondh-Suliali link road. After travelling a short distance, they abandoned the jeep and the victim near a roadside nullah, locally called Kapadi nullah, before fleeing into a nearby forest on foot.

A local resident discovered Salima lying injured and alerted the police, who arrived within minutes. She was rushed to the Nurpur Civil Hospital, where she received first aid. The police seized the Scorpio used in the abduction and began further investigation.

Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan confirmed that an FIR had been registered under sections 126(2), 115(2), 137(2), 87, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified culprits. He said the investigation is progressing from multiple angles and expressed confidence that the kidnappers will soon be arrested.

The incident has raised concerns over the safety of nomadic communities travelling through the region, but the prompt police response prevented a possible tragedy. The recovery of the victim within just two hours of the FIR stands as a notable example of coordinated field operations, rapid communication and effective sealing of escape routes.