KHUAJND, August 12, 2008 Asia-Plus  - A 33-year-old resident the northern city of Konibodom Ghufron Barotov is charged with illegal deprivation of two Uzbek nationals of liberty, according to the Sughd police directorate. 

The source at the Sughd police directorate said that on August 7, Barotov arrived in the village of Ravot in the Sughd district, where there were also two Uzbek nationals – the 37-year-old Khursandali Shermatov and the 30-year-old Bahodir Botirov.  “Accusing them of having stolen his mobile phone, he took Shermatov and Botirov to his house in Chkalovsk, where he locked them in the hen house and demanded a ransom of $2000 from their relatives for releasing them.”   

As a result of an operation by the Sughd police, the Uzbek nationals were released and criminal proceedings were instituted against Barotov.  An investigation is under way.