Three held for kidnapping and demanding ransom of ₹50 lakh

Police said the suspects were identified as Rinki Tiwari, Vikash hailing from Madhya Pradesh and Sagar hailing from Rajasthan

Police on Saturday arrested three persons for allegedly kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from Maruti Kunj in Bhondsi. Police said the suspects were friends of the victim’s family and after a fall out due to a financial dispute, they planned to kidnap the girl and demanded a ransom of ₹50 lakh to release her.

On Friday, around 10.30 pm Bhondsi police station received information that two minor girls were kidnapped from Maruti Kunj and that the father of the younger girl had received a call demanding a ransom of ₹50 lakhs. (HT Photo)

Police said the suspects were identified as Rinki Tiwari, Vikash hailing from Madhya Pradesh and Sagar hailing from Rajasthan.

A case under sections 364A (Kidnapping for ransom) , 387 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 120-B (conspiracy) and , 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code was registered at Bhondsi police station on Saturday.

Police said the victim, nine-year-old girl, daughter of Om Pal, a resident of Ekta Enclave, Maruti Kunj In Bhondsi received 13 calls from the suspects demanding ransom of ₹50 lakh.

Kala Ramachandran, commissioner of police, said that Pal and his family became close friends with Jugnu Tiwari and his wife Rinki Tiwari. “Jugnu took a loan of ₹26 lakh from Pal when the latter lived in Gurgaon village with wife and child before shifting to Ekta enclave. Jugnu’s wife Rinki hatched the conspiracy with two associates to kidnap Pal’s daughter so that her husband’s loan could be repaid,” she said.

On Friday, there was Laxmi puja at Pal’s residence. Jugnu, Rinki and their 14-year-old daughter came to attend it. In the evening, the nine-year-old daughter of Pal and 14-year old daughter of Tiwari went missing.

Ramachandran said that around 8.30pm, Pal received a threat call in which the caller informed that both the minor girls were in their custody and demanded ₹50 lakh ransom.

“Pal alleged that Rinki remained with them all the time while keeping an eye on their movements and kept passing it to kidnappers. Pal also alleged that Rinki repeatedly asked them to pay the ransom instead of approaching police. As per allegation, Pal didn’t know it was Rinki who was involved in the kidnapping,” said Ramachandran.

However, Pal informed Bhondsi police station about the kidnapping after which Rinki suddenly received a call from her daughter that the suspects have set them free near Hero Honda chowk. This increased Pal’s suspicion on Rinki and later she was arrested by police and during interrogation, she spilled all the beans that it was she, who hatched the kidnapping plot with Vikash and Sagar. Rinki’s husband had provided Vikash a cab to earn a livelihood, said police.

On Friday, around 10.30 pm Bhondsi police station received information that two minor girls were kidnapped from Maruti Kunj and that the father of the younger girl had received a call demanding a ransom of ₹50 lakhs.

A police team was formed and in charge of Maruti Kunj police post started an intensive search and started conducting investigation. “As soon as the kidnappers got to know that police was searching for the minors, they left them near Hero Honda Chowk and police recovered the victims,” said Ramachandran.

As per the plan, during the Kirtan program, Rinkie attended the Kirtan. the victim was lured out of her house on the pretext of buying ice cream. Outside, Sagar and Vikas were ready with a car to kidnap the victim. Since both minor girls went outside for ice cream, both were kidnapped. The accused, Rinkie, was in regular touch with both the victims after the kidnapping. The kidnapper demanded ₹50 lakhs from the complainant, by making call through the mobile app.