Kidnapping accused visit home before jail; ASI suspended

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service 

Amritsar, August 16 

An ASI-rank officer has been suspended for taking three youths, who were arrested in connection with kidnapping a coal trader and his aides, to their homes before taking them in police custody. 

SSP Parampal Singh confirmed the development and said the ASI had been placed under suspension with immediate effect. 

The SSP said he had received information that the ASI took the accused to their residences against the norms. The accused were produced in court, which sent them to judicial custody. 

The police had arrested Ajnala-based brick-klin owner Luvdeep Singh, a resident of Bhala Pind village, and his accomplices — Vishal Khanna of the Loharka road area and Manoj Kumar of Bageli in Uttar Pradesh — for allegedly kidnapping Gujarat-based coal trader Minal Kumar and his three business partners on Saturday. 

Vishal is a national level body builder. 

A case under Sections 307, 365, 379-B and 342 of the IPC was registered at the Ajnala police station against the accused. Within 24 hours after getting information, the Amritsar rural police rescued the traders and nabbed the accused. 

The SSP said Minal was doing business with the accused, who had bought 200 tonnes of coal worth Rs 15 lakh from him. They had made the payment in advance.

A fortnight ago, Luvdeep called Minal to Amritsar to get more coal. 

The trader, along with his partners Deepak, Vipan and Mani Lal and a driver, arrived in the city on Saturday. They met Luvdeep near a hotel on the airport road. 

The accused kidnapped Minal and his partners and took them to Sarangal village, alleging that he was providing inferior coal.

Asking Minal and his associates to return their money, the accused took them to fields and tied them in a room situated near a tubewell. The accused also threatened to burn them alive. They asked the trader to deposit money in a bank account of a branch in Ajnala.