Sikh family’s kidnapping in US| Suspect in family’s kidnapping found; victims still missing

The kidnapper took the baby, Aroohi Dheri, the child’s mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, on Monday at gunpoint from a business in Merced. The Merced County Sheriff’s office said in a statement that investigators identified Jesus Salgado, 48, after he used one of the victims’ ATM card.

A 48-year-old man, suspected of kidnapping a Sikh family, including an eight-month-old baby, in central California tried to kill himself Tuesday and is hospitalised in a critical condition, authorities said. The family is still missing.

Sheriff's officials in central California released photos of the possible suspect in the kidnapping of four members of a family, including an 8-month-old child. (AP)

The Merced County Sheriff’s office said in a statement that investigators identified Jesus Salgado, 48, after he used one of the victims’ ATM card. The family was kidnapped Monday at gunpoint from a business in Merced, the office said.

Detectives obtained a surveillance photo from the ATM in Atwater, a city about nine miles (14 kilometres) north of Merced, and “the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene,” the office said in a statement. The sheriff’s office had released two still images of a possible suspect seen in surveillance footage, and asked for the public’s help in identifying him.

Detectives received information that identified Salgado as a person of interest and that he attempted to take his own life before police arrived, the statement said, without specifying where he was taken into custody.

The kidnapper took the baby, Aroohi Dheri, the child’s mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke in a video published on Facebook.

Warnke said the kidnapper made no ransom demands or contact of any kind.

Family members told KXTV-TV that the family, which has a trucking company, was taken from an office that they had only opened about a week earlier.

“My husband is very peaceful and calm person. We don’t have any clue why they kidnapped them,” said Jaspreet Caur, wife of the kidnapped uncle.

The sheriff said detectives believe the kidnapper destroyed unspecified evidence in an attempt to cover his tracks.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement Tuesday that firefighters on Monday found a pickup truck belonging to Amandeep Singh that was on fire. Merced Police department officers went to Amandeep’s home where a family member tried to reach him and the couple. When they were not able to reach their family members, they called the Merced County Sheriff’s Office to report them missing, the office said.

This undated photo provided by Merced County Sheriff's Office shows family members who authorities are seeking the public's help in finding after they were kidnapped on Monday. (AP)

Family in Hoshiarpur in state of shock

Meanwhile, the victims’ family back home in Punjab is in a state of shock ever since they got the news of kidnapping.

Jasdeep’s parents Dr Randhir Singh and Kirpal Kaur are natives of Harsi Pind village in Tanda block of Hoshiarpur.

Charanjit Singh, a neighbour of Randhir Singh, said Jasdeep’s parents were in a state of shock and not in a position to talk.

Randhir Singh and Kirpal Kaur retired from the health and education departments, respectively.

According to Charanjit Singh, Randhir Singh returned to India from abroad on September 29. Upon arrival, he left for a pilgrimage in Uttarakhand. When he reached Rishikesh, he received a call from daughter-in-law Jaspreet Kaur in the US who told him about the incident of kidnapping of her husband Amandeep Singh and other family members.

After learning about the incident, Randhir Singh came back to his village on Tuesday evening, and is preparing to leave for the US Tuesday night, his neighbour said.

People of Harsi Pind and its adjoining villages rushed to Randhir Singh’s house to support the family and prayed for the safe return of the kidnapped persons to their home, said Charanjit Singh.

He further claimed that Union minister and Hoshiarpur MP Som Parkash had also called Randhir Singh and assured him of full support from the central government.

Tanda deputy superintendent of police Kulwant Singh said he had also visited the house of Randhir Singh and assured full support to him.