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Two men who turned up to collect Rs 1.1 lakh from the family members of a trader whom they had allegedly abducted from Park Street on Saturday evening were arrested in the port area early on Sunday.
Upendra Kumar Ram, a 35-year-old Taltala resident who rents out lights for film and serial shoots, had been whisked away in a car by four youths from outside Park Street Post Office around 6pm on Saturday.
The arrested duo, 23-year-old Rahul Jain and Trishul Jaiswal, reportedly told police that they had abducted the trader to recover Rs 3.6 lakh that Ram allegedly owed Jain.
The trader had allegedly taken the money promising to get Rahul’s brother admitted to a prominent college in south Calcutta. After being abducted, he was allegedly kept in a warehouse in Shibpur.
“The abductors assaulted Ram in the warehouse. Jain took away his cellphone and called his home around 8pm to demand a ransom of Rs 6 lakh. We urged the family to continue negotiating with the abductors. From Ram’s cellphone tower data, we came to know that he was near Shalimar,” said a police officer.
After midnight, the abductors agreed to release Ram once his family paid them Rs 1.1 lakh. The family members were asked to hand over the cash in the Watgunge area.
“Rahul and Trishul came in a car and collected from Upendra’s relatives a bag containing the money. Upendra, who was in the duo’s car, was released once the cash was handed over. We caught the two before they could board the car and speed away,” added the officer.
The two others who were allegedly involved in the abduction are at large. The car used for the abduction also has not been traced.
Snatcher held: A 33-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly snatching a gold chain from a woman in Salt Lake. Police said the woman, a resident of FE Block, was walking home when the youth snatched the chain and started running. Passersby managed to catch him.
Fire: A fire broke out on Sunday morning in the godown of a wagon factory in Titagarh where chemicals were stored for preparing paint. Nine tenders doused the flames in three hours.
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