UK hotelier ‘kidnapped’ in Punjab

London, May 21

The UK Foreign Office is looking into the mysterious disappearance of a British-Indian hotelier who went missing while on a business trip to Punjab.

Ranjit Singh Power’s family in Britain fears he may have been kidnapped as he uncharacteristically failed to stay in contact with them and did not board his return flight from Amritsar on May 14.

The 54-year-old owns the four-star Ramada Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region of England and is in the habit of ringing his family every day.

He last spoke to his partner Angela Bir on May 7 when he landed in India.

“We are getting more and more distraught. Our fears are that he may have been kidnapped or even worse,” said his daughter Emma.

“Father would contact England two or three times a day, if not more. We have not heard from him at all. He is very careful and has always been aware of his security,” said Emma (26). Power, who grew up in the West Midlands, has now been placed on the West Midlands Police’s Missing Persons list as the Foreign Office joins the investigation.

“A British national was reported missing in India on May 14. We are providing consular assistance to the family and liaising closely with the local authorities,” a spokesperson said. — PTI