Cousin,call centre man held for bank exec’s kidnap

Among the abductors is a distant cousin of the victim,identified as 25-year-old bank manager,Rahul Kumar. Officers said the ransom demand was for Rs 25 lakh.

Officers said both kidnappers,Rahul’s exporter cousin Naveen,25,and his friend,the call centre employee,Kuldeep,26,were heavily in debt and Rahul was their ticket to easy money.

Naveen,who was studying in Delhi University,ran a failing business of exporting shoes. Kuldeep,on the other hand,had run up a personal debt of several lakhs.

Subscriber Only Stories

View All

Premium

Explained: Baloch separatism and the coercive accession of the Khanate of...

Premium

Explained: What is the significance of India’s talks with NATO?

Premium

The toxic Fathers of St. Xavier’s, Kolkata

Premium

At native village, locals still have faith in Nitish but some doubt his p...

Subscribe Now to get 62% OFF

Officers said Rahul’s uncle Mukesh Kumar went to the police on June 27,when Rahul did not return from work the day before. Mukesh Kumar had also told the police that Rahul’s ailing father Suresh Kumar had begun to receive ransoms calls asking for Rs 25 lakh. Strangely,the calls were being made to the Kumar residence in Sahibabad from Rahul’s mobile phone. A case of kidnapping was immediately registered.

However,the police did not have to do much to trace the victim. Rahul,who was taken to a hideout in Ismial village,Rohtak,managed to give his guards — Kuldeep and one Manoj — the slip when they were resting. He ran away on Monday,an officer said,and informed his family that he was taking the train to Delhi from Sanpla.

His family brought the police to the station,and Rahul put them on his abductors’ trail. By Monday evening,Naveen and Kuldeep had been picked up from Rohtak,the police said.

The interrogation of the accused revealed that Naveen,along with friends Kuldeep,Manoj and Harsh,had hatched the abduction plan. An officer said: “Naveen dangled the bait of a party that was likely to have lots of alcohol.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H G S Dhaliwal added that after Rahul agreed to come with them,Naveen asked him to go ahead with Manoj,while he would follow in a car with Harsh.

“They reached Rohini and stopped for drinks. On their way out,Rahul was pulled into the car,overpowered and kidnapped,” Dhaliwal said.

From the abductors,the police have recovered the Alto car used in the kidnapping,Rahul’s mobile phone and a bloodstained shirt. Officers have launched a hunt for the other two in the gang,Harsh and Manoj.

‘Repentant’
Police sources said that minutes before he was apprehended,Naveen had doused himself in kerosene and was about to set himself ablaze. He later told the police that he was remorseful for having brought shame to the family. “But we were there on time,” an officer said.