Amritsar man in police net for making ransom calls to missing people’s kin

HE WOULD CHECK WITH THE FAMILIES IF THE MISSING PERSON HAD RETURNED HOME. IF NOT, HE WOULD CALL THEM LATER ASKING FOR RANSOM CLAIMING TO HAVE KIDNAPPED THEIR KIN

FATEHGARH SAHIB : Taking a cue from a popular TV crime show, a 26-year-old man from Amritsar made ransom calls on the phone numbers of the families of missing persons whose details were posted on Facebook with appeals for help to trace them.

Vijay Verma, who runs a footwear shop at Jandiala Guru, Amritsar, has landed in police net. He would first check with the families whether the missing person(s) had returned home. If not, he would call them later demanding ransom claiming to have kidnapped their kin, police said.

Fatehgarh Sahib senior superintendent of police (SSP) Alka Meena said Vijay recently made an attempt to get ransom from a family of a missing youth saying that he had kidnapped him. Santam Singh of Charnathal Kalan in the district approached the police on October 4 that his son Manpreet Singh went to his college but did not return home.

When the police tracked Manpreet’s mobile number, it was found that he had reached Delhi and switched off his phone thereafter. After getting no clue about Manpreet, the family shared his picture on Facebook, making a public appeal to help them trace the youth.

After seeing the Facebook post, Vijay called up the family to check whether Manpreet had returned home. After finding that the youth was still missing, Vijay made another call on October 13 demanding ₹6 lakh ransom saying Manpreet was in his captivity.

The parents informed the police who swung into action. They nabbed Vijay within 16 hours of the call, the Fatehgarh Sahib SSP said.

Vijay called the family to the Amritsar bus stand and even became clean shaven to avoid being recognised.

The SSP further said Vijay had made similar bids twice in the past, but failed, as the missing persons in both cases had reached home by then. WELLINGTON: A 25-year-old Indian man was killed in a car crash in New Zealand’s Queenstown, the media reported.

Harpreet Singh, who hailed from Punjab, had come to New Zealand as a student seven years ago and moved to Queenstown six to seven months ago, New Zealand’s news magazine The Indian Weekender reported.

The incident happened on early Sunday morning when his car collided with a tourist bus carrying 15 people near Devils Staircase, south of Queenstown. He later succumbed to his injuries, while the passengers and the driver of the bus were safe.

Singh was supposed to travel to India to meet his family later in December.

“He was a smart, bright and a generous person. We have lost a gem,” said Singh’s paternal grandfather, who lives in New Zealand.

Singh’s father died three years ago. He is survived by his mother and a younger sister who is studying MBBS.