The business of kidnapping businessman

By Dheeraj Fartode

This could be a super script for a thriller movie!! Drama, abduction and thrill at every moment keeps oneself gripped throughout the story. But the only missing element in the story is police action. A Haryana man posing as a businessman rings in a Nagpurian businessman and offers an attractive deal for sale of waste material of tyres. To ensure that the offer is real the businessman here received images of the material on WhatsApp. The Nagpurian businessman decides to explore the deal and sent his son to visit Haryana to negotiate for purchasing the material. The moment the businessman's son lands in Haryana a roller coaster of events starts recalling which the son is scared to death. The son gets abducted by armed men who then asks for ransom of Rs. 10 lakh and tells the businessman that if the money is not paid the former would be eliminated.

A senior police officer admitted that many city businessman were duped in similar way but so far only three have showed courage to report the matter while rest of them do not want to pursue the case. The Hitavada got a copy of one complaint and after reading it one gets a view that the gang seems to be quite professional as they are having complete information about business background of their victims.

The story starts with a phone call on September 29, 2014 at morning hours when Pankaj (name changed) received a phone call. The caller identified himself as Deepak Agrawal, a resident of Bhiwadi village of Haryana and offers 500 tonnes of waste of tyre at mere Rs 8 per/kg rate. As the offered rate was comparatively cheaper, Pankaj got taken by the deal and asks the seller to get in touch with his son, Kapil.

The caller now knowing that the businessman is taken in by the deal sent images of waste tyre material on WhatsApp messenger to Kapil. After few hours Deepak calls Kapil and discuss the talks with the businessman's father. Kapil too got hooked to the deal and seeing the images and post discussion with his father he fixes schedule for meeting in Haryana. The caller uses eloquent words to describe the material to Kapil. Kapil's family owns a waste tyre recycling plant where they extract oil from used tyres.

The caller informs Kapil about his godown at Bhiwadi and Hodal villages in Haryana state and said he is ready to dispose of stock of around 500 tonnes of waste material at dirt cheap price. On September 30, Pankaj discusses the deal with his brother and reach to conclusion to purchase the material. As the caller had offered rate of Rs 8, which was very cheap compared to their regular supplier, the family decides to send Kapil to Haryana to check the material. 

After discussing with the caller -- Deepak Agrawal -- for almost 6-7 times, Kapil boarded Andhra Pradesh Express on October 1 from Nagpur and reached Hodal station on October 2 at 8.30 am. Meanwhile, Agrawal got in touch with Kapil and told him about a car waiting at railway station. Kapil boards the four wheeler and till this time the gang had carefully put-up the drama to ensure that the businessman does not get suspicious.

As the car crossed national highway and hit a narrow road of a village, Kapil for a while is startled and he got panicky. He tries to look for some clue and starts conservation with the car driver asking him whether the road is suitable for movement of trucks and where were they heading to.

The car stops at an agriculture land. Kapil deboarded from the car and the accompanying man took him to a house. The house was divided in 6-7 rooms where many youths, girls and boys were put-up. Kapil was taken to a room and asked to sit on a sofa and the youngster mind starts racing as the atmosphere their looked wrong. Till that time the real motive of the gang was not yet clear though looking at belongings in the room Kapil began to wonder whether he had landed at wrong place? He remember hearing name of Palwal village which was repeated by the group of men surrounding him. 

In a fraction of second, one man quickly moved towards Kapil and kept pistol on his temple. Now Kapil was taken aback but could hardly do anything as he was now completely at loss to understand the sudden change of schemes. Before he could move a burly man stands in front of Kapil and acquaints him with fact.

The goons check Kapil and relieve him of his mobile handset, Rs 1.20 lakh of cash and the wrist watch. Around same time, Kapil’s phone rang and the abductors asked him to receive a phone and put it on speaker mode. As narrated by the abductors, Kapil informs his uncle about reaching Haryana and said that advance amount has been given and deal is on. 

His uncle called him 10-12 times in a day and each time, Kapil as told by his captors continue to pretend that everything is fine, though his family members were now getting restless. During the 11th call Kapil told his uncle that 13 trucks were loaded with the 615 tonnes material and have been dispatched for Nagpur. 

The abductors were keeping hawk eye on Kapil and they would even follow him in toilet. During one of the conversation Kapil's uncle told him that as the bank is closed due to holiday the balance payment would be done day after tomorrow. As the abductors heard this word, they panicked and asked Kapil to told his uncle about his abduction. The word of abduction shook Kapil's uncle whose worst fears came true. After negotiating the terms Kapil's uncle agreed to pay the ransom. The accused told Kapil's family that the money should be delivered in Nagpur itself.

On October 3 at 9 am, the abductors asked Kapil's uncle to furnish Rs 8.50 lakh. Father of Kapil borrowed the money from his friends and gave it to Kantilal, whose address was given by the abductors. The money was transacted to Delhi through Hawala network and within a minute the abductors got information about arrival of money.

The accused then took Kapil took to a waiting car. However Kapil boarded a local taxi and went to Delhi station and boarded AP express at 5 pm. He called his father from a borrowed phone about his current status. On directions from uncle Kapil deboarded at Mathura station and wait in a Hotel. The uncle and father flew to Delhi and met Kapil at Hotel in Mathura and came back with him to Nagpur on October 4. 

Kapil approached a city police station and lodged a complaint. Police have registered a case under sections 406, 419, 420, 342, 384, 506 (B) and 34 of Indian Penal Code. 

Gang duped many city businessman

Sources informed that more than a dozen of city businessman were duped to the tune of lakhs of rupees by the gang using the same trick. The accused are using social media and their local contacts to target their prey. They are smart and cruel and seems to have network across the country. Many local vendors are parts of their network from which they get tip-off and then they target their prey.