LAHORE - Putting a question mark on the performance of police investigators, Punjabs leading businessman has helplessly secured his safe release after paying Rs one billion ransom to the gangsters. Dr Muhammad Arshad, owner of High-Tech Feed, countrys largest poultry feed producing company, was kept hostage at some undisclosed location for more than 20 days. Gangsters released him after the victim family paid ransom amount worth Rs one billion to them as per the kidnappers conditions. The family also assured the kidnappers that they would keep mum about the incident, a police sources disclosed to The Nation on Tuesday, requesting his name not to be revealed. Sources close to the investigators said that the abductors released the businessman at some unknown place after the victim family handed over the ransom amount to their accomplices at some other place. He (Dr Arshad) is shocked and terrified but safe and secure. Now he is at home. The victim family is reluctant in cooperating with the police with regard to the investigations, a senior police official confirmed, when contacted. Some three days ago, he was released, police sources said but did not mention further details. We dont know about the exact ransom amount, the family paid to the gangsters. The investigations have begun to track down the kidnappers, the police official maintained. The investigation police had completely failed to trace the whereabouts of the kidnappers while the gangsters kept the businessman hostage for about three weeks. Dr Muhammad Arshad had been kidnapped at gunpoint along with his BMW-car and driver from Township area some 20 days ago. He was on his way to office situated in Shadman locality when gangsters equipped with sophisticated weapons intercepted his car and took him to some unknown location. Police circles believed that the incident, said to be the biggest case of kidnapping for ransom in the history of Lahore police in terms of ransom amount, has spread of wave of terror and fear among the business community. Interestingly, according to the sources, the incident was in the notice of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and he had directed the police to nab the culprits and ensure safe release of the victim on emergent basis. On July 8, 2010, unidentified gunmen intercepted the car of Dr Muhammad Arshad minutes after he left his Township residence to reach Shadman office. Hours later, the victim family received a telephone call from his mobile phone and asked to immediately arrange Rs 50 million for the safe release of their beloved one. The victim family agreed to pay the same ransom amount, requesting the abductors not to harm Dr Muhammad Arshad. Days after, the kidnappers contacted the victim family through the victims cellular phone number and increased the amount of ransom to Rs one billion. When contacted, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aslam Tareen confirmed that the victim has secured his safe release. According to the police record, the conviction rate in the cases of kidnapping for ransom in Punjab province is zero due to the faulty investigations and police inability to properly tackle such important cases. The Township police had registered the case on the complaint of the victim family and are investigating with no arrest made so far.