Gurugram: Cashew dealer from Bengaluru held hostage, released after ₹19L payment

Gurugram The police on Wednesday booked a man for allegedly holding a businessman hostage on the pretext of purchasing cashew nuts and extorting ₹19 lakh from his

Gurugram The police on Wednesday booked a man for allegedly holding a businessman hostage on the pretext of purchasing cashew nuts and extorting ₹19 lakh from his family. The suspect is yet to be arrested, the police said, adding that the victim was unhurt.

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According to the police, the incident took place last week when the victim, who runs a cashew trade in Bengaluru, was contacted by an acquaintance from Bhiwadi in Alwar for a business deal. The police said they had been in touch regarding an order for cashews.

The police said that after sharing pictures of the sample product on WhatsApp, the suspect called the victim to Bhiwadi last week.

A police officer privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said the victim boarded a flight from Chennai for Delhi and after landing, reached Huda City Metro station, from where he was picked up in a car.

“In Bhiwadi, the suspect threatened him and confined him in a room. The suspect called his family members and asked them to arrange ₹19 lakh to release him. One of his uncles in Chennai arranged the amount and paid it to an associate of the suspect in Chennai. The suspect then dropped the victim at a bus stop in Bhiwadi and escaped,” the police officer said.

The police said that the victim took a bus to Delhi on Sunday and after meeting a few friends, filed a police complaint at the Sector 29 police station.

“The suspect is at large. We are trying to trace him,” the officer said.

A case was registered against the suspect under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 384 (extortion), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 29 police station.