Businessman abducted from Gzb rescued after Haridwar encounter

GHAZIABAD: Almost 40 hours after a Ghaziabad-based businessman was abducted on Thursday night, police managed to rescue him from Haridwar and arrested three of the accused after an encounter.

A constable was injured when the three abductors opened fire on a police team in Haridwar’s Ramnagar area on Saturday evening, police officials said. Two of the accused were injured in the police firing, the officials added.

“The encounter took place at 5pm in Haridwar. Acting on a tip-off and using surveillance of abducted victim’s phone, a team of Haridwar police and Ghaziabad crime branch reached Ramnagar tehsil. The three men opened fire as soon as they realised that they were being followed. In retaliation, we also fired upon them and nabbed them. The abducted businessman was released from their captivity,” said Hari Narain Singh, senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad.

Police arrested Pradeep Singh, a native of Jind, Haryana, along with Rashid and Mohsin, both natives of Meerut.

Anil Kumar Arora, a 45-yearold businessman who runs a steel manufacturing company, was allegedly abducted from Ghaziabad’s Govindpuram area on Thursday night from outside his factory.

According to the complaint filed by victim’s brother Manish, Anil was leaving from the factory for home in a scooter.

As he was about to start his two-wheeler, a car stopped by and a man started asking him questions.

He was last seen getting inside the vehicle by the security guard of his factory. Ten minutes later, Arora’s phone was switched off.

At 2am, a call was made from Arora’s phone to his family where one of the alleged abductors demanded ₹2 crore.

“We had put the victims’ phone on surveillance. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Ghaziabad crime branch reached Haridwar. The abductors had somehow realised that they were being followed by police. They had picked a fight in Ramnagar and as soon as a mob started encircling them, they deserted the car and started running. The victim is alright and he is being taken to Ghaziabad,” said a senior police officer.