Punjab gangsters behind city bizman’s kidnapping

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The kidnapping of a 31-year-old businessman by three miscreants, of whom two were armed, outside a gym is the handiwork of gangsters from Punjab, who have been identified by the UT police. The gangsters are believed to have conducted a recce before committing the crime.

The police suspect the accused had also kidnapped a businessman from Sector 35 in September 2016 in a similar manner, who was also released a few hours later after taking a ransom of Rs 40 lakh.

Yesterday, Harpreet Singh, a resident of Sector 10, was kidnapped outside a gym in Sector 9.

Police sources said the victim came out of the gym while talking on the phone around 8.10 pm and as soon he reached near his car, the miscreants pointed pistols at him and sat in his car. While one of the miscreants drove the Mercedes, the two others sat on the rear seat along with the victim.

The victim was threatened and asked to pay a ransom of Rs 2 crore. “The accused drove around the city and also took the victim towards Sohana and Landran. The accused made the victim call up his cousin. The victim asked his cousin to come with money near Elante Mall,” said the sources. 

As soon as the victim’s cousin, who was not aware that Harpreet had been kidnapped, arrived with Rs 3 lakh, the accused took the money and released the victim. The kidnappers, believed to be in their mid-twenties, then drove away in the victim’s Mercedes. The SUV was found abandoned in the Industrial Area, Phase II, around 20 minutes after the incident. A security guard outside a building there saw the accused escape in an auto-rickshaw.

Suspected to be involved in earlier case 

Three men had kidnapped a 57-year-old real estate businessman at gunpoint from Sector 35 in September 2016 and released him after receiving a ransom of Rs 40 lakh a few hours later. Harminder Bajaj, a resident of Sector 35, was returning home when the accused blocked his way with their car around 9 pm. Three youths intercepted his car and introduced themselves as CBI officials.

Two of them entered his vehicle. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 10 crore. The victim was made to speak to his business partner and told to bring money. The ransom was arranged, which was collected from outside the house of Bajaj’s business partner at Phase 3B1, Mohali. Bajaj was released near Chappar Chiri and the kidnappers left his car a kilometer ahead.

Timeline

• 6.45 pm: Victim reaches gym in Sector 9 
• 8.10 pm: Leaves the gym, immediately after which he is kidnapped 
• 9.25 pm: Released by the accused near Elante 
• 9.30 pm: Police get a call about the robbery 

Nabha jailbreak accused involved?  

Police sources said one of the accused in the Nabha jailbreak was suspected to be involved in this incident. The crime branch of the UT police showed pictures of a few suspects (gangsters from Punjab), who were identified by the victim.

Jurisdiction goof-up?

Though the victim was kidnapped from Sector 9 and released in the Industrial Area, the UT police registered a case at the Industrial Area police station while the case should have been registered at the Sector 3 police station.