Factory owner decides to shift premises, landlord abducts employees in threat

The police are on the lookout for two persons, who leased their premises for a factory in Sector 10, for allegedly abducting employees of the factory over a dispute in the rental payment. The police received a complaint on Tuesday from the factory owner, who alleged that two of his employees were abducted by the lessors in Saraswati Enclave of Sector 10

The police are on the lookout for two persons, who leased their premises for a factory in Sector 10, for allegedly abducting employees of the factory over a dispute in the rental payment.

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The police received a complaint on Tuesday from the factory owner, who alleged that two of his employees were abducted by the lessors in Saraswati Enclave of Sector 10.

Ashok Nain, the station house officer of Sector 10 police station, said that they formed a team and raided three suspected locations, following which two employees who were held hostage were found. “The suspects fled the spot before police reached. They have been identified and will be arrested at the earliest,” he said.

This is at least the fourth such incident of conflict between the lessors and lessee reported in the past 10 days, as the industry is trying to recoup its losses amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dharmender Kumar Singh (45), the factory owner who runs an export house, said that he has been operating from the building in Sector 10 for the last three years. “Since last March, there have been only a few orders due to which we wanted to shift to another location. We have got a place for a much cheaper price; I paid the security amount and advance rent. I informed my landlord last month and requested him to adjust the security amount in the current rent cycle,” he said.

Singh said the landlord did not agree and got furious. He is alleged to have threatened the life of the factory owner if he shifted and demanded one year’s rent in advance. “I requested him and finally decided to leave the security money but he did not stop here and did not let my employees shift the machines and raw material. On Tuesday, the landowner and his son came with a few men and abducted two of my employees. They left a message for me stating that they won’t let me move my stuff,” said Singh.

A case under sections 323 (assault), 365 (kidnapping), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was registered on Tuesday at Sector 10 police station against two persons.

Nain said that such incidents are being reported frequently, as owners are losing their rent and businesses are unable to turn profits. Similar cases are registered at Udyog Vihar, Manesar and Sadar police stations.

“There have been multiple complaints and many people have vacated their rented spaces without taking their security money. We have informed all tenants to inform police if they are targeted by anyone in the area and if they are finding problems while vacating or taking their security deposit,” he said.