Debt-ridden property dealers abduct two bizmen for ₹2 crore ransom, held

NEW DELHI: Two debt-ridden property dealers, including the son of an ex-Indian Air Force airman, have been arrested by the crime branch for allegedly holding two businessmen captive and demanding ₹2 crore as ransom for their release, police said on Wednesday.

The businessmen were held captive at a hotel in central Delhi’s Karol Bagh. One of them escaped from the clutches of the kidnappers on the excuse of arranging the ransom amount. When he failed to arrange such a huge amount, the businessman approached the police and sought their help in rescuing his kidnapped business partner. The police raided the hotel on Tuesday night, rescued the businessman and arrested the kidnappers.

The arrested men were identified as Manjeet Singh Grewal and Vijay Kumar. Vijay’s father had retired as an airman from the Indian Air Force, said DCP (crime) Madhur Verma. The two have been in the property business for the last 15-20 years. They had suffered huge losses in business in the last four-five years and were under huge debt.

“The two were fond of lavish lifestyle, but due to money crisis, they were facing acute problems in fulfilling their daily needs. To overcome their financial restraints, they planned to abduct the complainant. They were aware about the sound financial position of the complainant and were sure that he would shell out the ransom amount without involving police,” said Verma.

On March 28, a Haryanabased businessman approached Crime Branch with a complaint that his fellow businessman was being held captive by the two accused. The complainant, who is engaged in road construction business, knew Grewal through a common friend. For the last few days, Grewal was contacting him for helping him in getting a road tender in National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Relying on Grewal, the complainant along with his partner came to Delhi, and met Grewal and his associate Vijay. The two brought the businessmen duo to a hotel on the pretext of meeting with an officer of NHAI. The two then held them captive and demanded ₹2 crore as ransom and threatened them, said police.

“The complainant requested the kidnappers that if they release him, he would bring the ransom amount. He was released with the threat that if he does anything untoward, his partner would be killed,” said an investigator adding the complainant approached them after he failed to arrange the ransom

A team was formed and the hotel was raided. The two were nabbed after a brief scuffle. The businessman was also rescued. A revolver with eleven cartridges, made in ordinance factory, Kanpur and issued in the name of Grewal’s brother-inlaw Sunil were recovered along with a car.