The Hindu : New Delhi News : Retired sales tax official arrested

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Tuesday, Mar 01, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Retired sales tax official arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 28. A retired Sales Tax Assistant Commissioner and six of his accomplices, who allegedly kidnapped a businessman and his driver in his Mitsubishi lancer on February 25 for a ransom of Rs. 20 lakhs, were arrested from Noida in Uttar Pradesh this Sunday. While the victims were rescued, the police recovered the ransom amount, two country-made pistols, and nine mobile phones from the accused and also impounded their Maruti Esteem.

On February 25, the father of a businessman living in Civil Lines lodged a complaint alleging that his son and his driver, who had left for his shop at Chawri Bazar in his Lancer that afternoon, had gone missing. The same day he received a call in which the caller demanded Rs. 1 crore for the release of his son and the driver. The next day, the police found the Lancer stationed at the parking lot of New Delhi railway station.

The businessman's father received more ransom calls and on negotiations, as directed by the police, the culprits scaled down the amount to Rs. 20 lakhs asking him to make the payment near a petrol pump in Ghaziabad in the intervening night of February 27 and 28. The amount was subsequently paid to some of the kidnappers who had come in a Maruti Esteem car. The culprits left the place saying that the victims would be released near Noida Sector 37. In a quick move, the police laid a trap and intercepted the Esteem in which three of the culprits were taking the victims to Noida. The accused, identified as Ashok Mishra, Upender Chaudhary and Sunil Bhatti, were arrested. At their instance, the police arrested Hajender Singh, Satish, Gokaran and Jaideep from their Greater Noida hideout.

During interrogation, Ashok confessed to having masterminded the kidnapping. After he retied from the Sales Tax Department, he along with Upender and Anil Dharma planned to make quick money through extortion. In 2003, they tried to extort Rs. 10 lakhs from a Ghaziabad businessman, but he informed the police. The three were subsequently arrested.

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