Suspects abduct eatery owner in Gurugram due to business rivalry

A restaurant owner in Gurugram was allegedly abducted by suspects in an SUV after refusing to shut down his business. The suspects assaulted the owner, took his laptop and phone, and later released him. The incident is believed to be a case of business rivalry. An FIR has been registered and the victim is scheduled to appear before the police.

Gurugram: A restaurant owner was allegedly abducted by SUV-borne suspects from Sector 49 on Monday after he had refused to wrap up his business even after multiple threats, Gurugram police said on Monday.

Suspects abduct eatery owner in Gurugram due to business rivalry

Police said the victim was in his restaurant at Rodeo Drive market in Sector 49, when the incident took place at about 12.30am.

As per police, the suspects assaulted the restaurant owner and dragged him in their SUV and fled. They also took away his laptop and mobile phone.

Investigators said the victim’s wife alleged that the suspects put pressure on her husband to shut down his business as the name by which he was running his restaurant was similar to another noted eatery in Gurugram.

On the basis of a complaint from the victim’s wife, an FIR was registered against unidentified suspects at 2am under Section 34 (common intention) and 365 (abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sector 50 police station, said police.

A senior police officer said police started to trace the restaurant owner’s whereabouts after registering the complaint. “However, by 4.30am, he returned to his home in Sector 10A, after being set free by the suspects. This seems to be a case of business rivalry and the suspects forcibly took him away to settle some scores. It is yet not clear where the suspects had set him free,” he said.

Subhash Boken, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said the victim is scheduled to appear before them on Tuesday.

“Once the victim reports to the police station to record his statements, it will become clear who abducted and threatened him. On the basis of evidence, necessary action will be taken against the suspects,” Boken added.