A businessman from Lucknow was reportedly held captive for nearly nine hours by a gang impersonating police officers. The suspects drove him across at least 20 cities, including routes from Lucknow to Agra and back, while threatening him with firearms and demanding ransom from his family. Authorities have since arrested six individuals in connection with this incident.
Lucknow: Krishna Nagar Police on Sunday arrested six members of a gang that allegedly impersonated police officers and held a Lucknow businessman captive in his own car for nearly nine hours on Sept 12. After collecting Rs 13 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver jewellery, from his family, they abandoned him near Shaheed Path, police said. Nearly a week later, Krishna Nagar police and surveillance team arrested six members of the interstate gang and recovered two country-made pistols, three cartridges, Rs 2.5 lakh in cash, an SUV and four fake police identity cards. “The victim, Sudarshan Ghosh, was abducted on Sept 12 while he was on his way to his office. Later, Ghosh’s driver handed over Rs 13 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver jewellery, to the accused, following which they left him near Shaheed Path and fled, police said.
The accused approached him near his office, introduced themselves as police officers and showed him forged police identity cards.
They then allegedly forced him into his own vehicle, threatened him with weapons and drove away,” said ADCP, South Zone, Vasant Kumar Rallapalli. Police said the accused kept moving through different locations, including routes towards Kannauj and Agra, for nearly nine hours. Police said the gang used forged police IDs to make the victim believe he was being taken for questioning.
The accused allegedly drove him towards Agra while repeatedly demanding ransom from his family. During the ordeal, the accused allegedly forced Ghosh to call his wife and demand money in exchange for his release. The case came to light after Ghosh approached the police, and an FIR was registered at Krishna Nagar police station. They also used vehicles fitted with forged number plates to evade detection.