Mumbai bizman abducted, wife helps rescue

MUMBAI: In a scene straight out of a potboiler, a city-based businessman, who was kidnapped at gunpoint and held hostage for three days, was rescued and his kidnappers arrested on Saturday, after the 39-year-old’s wife decided to meet the abductors with the ransom money.

Bhavin Shah, a chemical supplier, was abducted from outside Ram Mandir railway station on Tuesday and the kidnappers kept sending WhatsApp videos of Shah to his wife, Hetal. They demanded a ransom of ₹82 lakh, but later agreed up on ₹10 lakh.

The main accused, Mohammed Shanu, and his five accomplices met Shah outside the railway station after one of them pretending to be a businessman called the victim to discuss a deal. When Shah reached the meeting spot, the accused held him at gunpoint, bundled him in a car and took him to Nallasopara, where he was kept since Tuesday. Shah was stripped, tortured and assaulted over three days and videos of his ordeal were sent to Hetal, who approached the police.

On Friday, after finally agreeing on reducing the ransom amount, the accused called Hetal to Nallasopara to pay up. When she was on the way to meet them, the kidnappers made her change multiple trains so make sure she wasn’t being followed by the police. “She left from Andheri station at 4pm and reached Nallasopara at 11pm. The woman showed immense courage throughout the operation and finally managed to rescue her husband,” said Paramjit Singh Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police, zone IX. When Hetal reached Nallasopara, two of the accused approached her, after which the police teams that were trailing her nabbed them.

The police then reached the flat where Shah was held hostage and after rescuing him, arrested the other four accused. They have also recovered a countrymade pistol, three live cartridges, and the car in which Shah was kidnapped.