Ludhiana: 48-year-old man kidnapped, thrashed, 8 booked

At least eight people have been booked for kidnapping and thrashing a former employee of a liquor company; they also allegedly stripped and made a video of him with the intention of blackmail him

At least eight people have been booked for kidnapping and thrashing a former employee of a liquor company, They also allegedly stripped and made a video of him with the intention of blackmail him.

Three of the suspects have been identified as Gagandeep Singh of Jhujhar Nagar, Sajandeep Singh of Shimlapuri and Amit Bansal, while five of their aides are yet to be identified.

The victim, Mahinder Singh, 48, of New Shimlapuri, told police that Gagandeep and Sajandeep, who are his neighbours, were into sale of illegal liquor.

His colleague had filed a complaint against the suspects and an FIR was lodged, but the accused suspected Mahinder of passing on information about them to the police and nursed a rivalry against him.

The complainant added that on July 10 , he was driving home with his son, Nitin, 22, when the accused hit their car with a pickup jeep at Daba. “As I stepped out of the car, the accused started thrashing me and my son. While my son managed to escape, they kidnapped me in my car and took me to a liquor vend near Pipal Chowk. There, they removed my clothes and made a video to humiliate and blackmail me, ”said the victim.

Mahinder alleged that the accused then called the police to the spot and asked them to lodge a case of liquor smuggling against him. As he was injured, the police officers refused to take him into custody.

Mahinder said the next day, he filed a complaint with the police, but to no avail. He also complained to the Ludhiana police commissioner, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) and chief minister Bhagwant Man, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

“When I threatened to take up the matter with the Punjab and Haryana high court, police lodged an FIR,” said Mahinder.

ASI Rajinder Singh said a case under Sections 365 (kidnapping), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of theft), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons) and 149 (every members of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of Indian Penal Code has been lodged against the accused.

On being asked about the delay in lodging the FIR, the ASI said the victim was in contact with the accused for settlement. After they did not come to a compromise, he filed a complaint against them. A hunt is on for the arrest of the accused.