Farmer kidnapped, freed after giving Rs 20-lakh ransom

Tribune News Service

Panipat, July 14

Five miscreants kidnapped a 55-year-old farmer, along with his Range Rover car, from Saudapur village on Assandh road.

They released him near Revali village of Sonepat district after taking a ransom of Rs 20 lakh.

The victim’s family members brought him home and lodged a complaint with the police.

According to sources, the victim, Naresh Agghi, a resident of Model Town who owns 22 acres in Saudapur village on Assandh road, started for his fields in his Range Rover at around 8.20 pm on Friday.

When he reached near a wine shop on Assandh road, five miscreants in a car forcibly stopped him and pulled him out from his car.

They started beating him and pushed him on the back seat of their car. While one of the criminals drove the Range Rover, the other — with weapons — sat in the other car.

They took the farmer to Kundli border on National Highway-44 in Sonepat district.

Meanwhile, when he did not reach home, his son Chirag Agghi, who is practicing advocate in the Supreme Court, called him up at 11.45 pm but the phone was switched off.

At 12.15 pm, Chirag again called up his father and some unidentified person picked up the phone. He demanded a ransom of Rs20 lakh for releasing Naresh.

Chirag managed to arrange the money from neighbours and relatives and reached Murthal at around 4 am. Then, the kidnappers told him to put the bag of money on the Murthal village road and go to Murthal-Sonepat road where he would find his father and the car.

Chirag immediately reached near Revali village on Murthal-Sonepat road where his father was present at a tea stall with the car at 6 am. He brought his father back home.

Sumit Kumar, Superintendent of Police, said a case has been registered against unidentified persons.

Released after 10 hrs 

• Naresh Agghi, who owns 22 acres in Saudapur village on Assandh road, was kidnapped when he was going to his fields 8.20 pm on Friday
• When Naresh’s son Chirag Agghi called up his father at 11.45 pm, the phone was switched off
• At 12.15 pm, Chirag again called up his father. This time, an unidentified person answered the call, demanding a Rs 20 lakh 
• Naresh was released around 6 am the next day after getting the money