Abducted Assam doctor returns home

Sources in the Crime Branch told The Indian Express preliminary investigation revealed that, for the first time, an auto-lifter gang of Delhi and gangs of Nagaland had worked together to execute the abduction.

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“The conspiracy of abducting the doctor was hatched by a local criminal of Bindapur, Sharad Pandit alias Pandey, who is a notorious auto-lifter. We suspect he kidnapped the doctor from Delhi after he was asked by local councillor of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh capital, who later made ransom calls,” said police sources. “Pandit is on the run and raids are on to nab him.”

Pandit was in touch with the Itanagar councillor since 2004 and supplied vehicles to him, the police sources added.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) S K Gautam confirmed the doctor had reached home. Police are investigating the case to solve the mystery.

Pegu is an owner of Puja Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, a prominent hospital of Assam, and general secretary of Dibrugarh District Congress Committee. “He reached on September 23 and checked into Hotel Suzi International in Nabi Karim area. He had stayed there earlier. He left the hotel after informing the manager he was going to Chandigarh to attend a meeting and would come back after 24 hours,” police sources added.

However, when he did not return, his elder brother reached Delhi. After failing to trace him, he lodged a complaint at Nabi Karim police station. The Central district police came to know about the abduction after Pegu’s wife received ransom phone calls in Assam.
Around seven ransom calls were made and they allowed the victim to talk to his wife in every call, police sources said. Initially, investigators failed to get leads, but call records led them to the Pandit and councillor nexus,

the sources said. Sources claimed after the police mounted pressure, the criminals became nervous and freed Pegu, but after beating him.
“We tried to contact him, but he refused to talk. His family members informed us he is scared and not talking with anyone. We are in touch with senior officials of Assam and a probe is on,” JCP Gautam said.