THREE men are in the dock for allegedly kidnapping a Bangladeshi man and holding him captive in an apartment in Manama over financial disputes.
The Pakistani men – aged 18, 34 and 40 – appeared at the High Criminal Court where they denied the charges, claiming that they took the 40-year-old Bangladeshi man from Hamad Town to Manama with his consent on July 18.
However, they also claimed that their actions were based on a request by the 40-year-old victim’s uncle.
“While I was working in Hamad Town, the defendants came to me demanding I pay them back money I owed,” the alleged victim told prosecutors in a statement.
“I asked them to give me some time to come up with the money as I was going through a tough financial situation.
“They started beating me up and then they forced me into a bus and took me to the 34-year-old’s apartment in Manama.
“They forced me into a room and locked the door.”
According to the victim’s statement, he heard the 34-year-old make a call to his cousin – a 25-year-old Bangladeshi man – informing him that the 40-year-old was being held captive in Manama.
The victim also told the Public Prosecution that he heard the 34-year-old say he will be released once the money he owes is paid.
“I got a call from the 34-year-old informing me that they took the victim because he owed them money,” said the 25-year-old, in his statement to the Public Prosecution.
“I was told to come to the apartment in Manama and when I got there, I saw the 40-year-old with blood coming out of his nose so I called the police.”
According to the Public Prosecution notes attached to case files, when interrogated the 34-year-old and 40-year-old defendants admitted to kidnapping the victim.
A medical report within the case files confirmed that the victim suffered from a superficial cut to his upper lip as well as a cut on the inside of his right nostril.
The case was adjourned to Wednesday for review and to allow lawyers to present an argument while keeping the defendants in custody.
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