Masked gunmen abducted a man from his home in Crossmyloof as he prayed with his family. The three masked men took Javed Mukhtar from his Shawmoss Road house and bundled him into a white van.

Father of four Mr Mukhtar (58) was getting ready for bed at around 11.30pm on Friday September 29 after praying with his family as part of the Muslim festival of Ramadan when the masked men entered his home. His  three week-old granddaughter, three sons, daughter, daughter-in-law and wife were all in the house at the time. Police and family fear for the businessman’s health, as he requires medication to control his diabetes.

Mr Mukhtar’s 24-year-old son, Rizwan Javed, said, ‘It is an extremely traumatic time for our family. We just want our dad back safe and well and I’m asking anyone who has information on his abduction to get in touch with the police. If the people who have taken my dad see this, we are begging them to release him and let him return to his family.’
A respected Mr Mukhtar owns two shops in Rutherglen. A shot was heard before the van drove off.

Detective Superintendent William Prendergast said, ‘We are desperately trying to ascertain a motive for this abduction.’ Mr Mukhtar was not known to the police. Police interviewed over 200 motorists at the scene the following weekend and appealed directly to Mr Mukhtar’s captors. DS Prendergast said that police ‘remain committed to the investigation’.

Meanwhile the trial of three men accused of abducting and murdering Southside schoolboy Kriss Donald started at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The 15 year-old was snatched from Pollokshields’ Kenmure Street in March 2004. His scarred body was later found on the Clyde walkway in Glasgow’s East End. The charges against the three men – Mohammed Mushtaq (27), Zeeshan Shahid (29) and Imran Shahid (29) – allege that the attack was racially motivated.

Mr Mushtaq and Zeeshan Shahid have pleaded not guilty. Imran Shahid pleaded not guilty but entered a special defence of incrimination, blaming the others for the murder.

The trial is expected to continue for 5 to 8 weeks.