Police on Tuesday said they suspect a criminal gang is behind the kidnapping of Dua Mangi, a girl who was abducted from Karachi's DHA neighbourhood late Saturday night and is still missing.

A senior police official, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that a preliminary probe had revealed that a criminal gang had intercepted the 20-year-old girl and her friend as they were walking on the road. They shot at the boy and injured him and kidnapping Dua for ransom. He said that her family, however, had so far not received any ransom call.

Police also said they made progress in the case today, citing the recovery of the car used by the abductors. The car was found abandoned in Gulshan, within the limits of Sharea Faisal.

The official, who is familiar with the case, said that the car had been snatched from Ferozabad on November 27.

The officer said the family had initially suspected involvement of a student in the case as reportedly some quarrel had taken place between the girl and the student but "no concrete evidence had emerged". The officer clarified that no one has so far been arrested in the case.

DIG South Sharjeel Kharal said different investigation teams were working on the case and that police were in touch with the family and making concerted efforts “to recover the girl safely”.

'Police have failed'

Meanwhile, a protest by members of the civil society was staged at the city's Teen Talwar roundabout. According to police, around 100 people took part in the protest, joined by PTI lawmakers Khurram Sherzaman and Aftab Qureshi, PPP leader Najmi Alam and by members of Sindh Thinkers Forum.

Traffic was diverted to alternate routes.

The sister of the kidnapped girl told media that the family was not satisfied with the police's performance as "despite the passage of three days, the police have failed to recover her".