THE UTTAR Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested the man who allegedly masterminded the daring abduction of Anant Gupta, the three-year-old son of Adobe India CEO Naresh Gupta. The police said the accused, Chattrapal, was also one of the two men who kidnapped Anant on November 13 while the boy was on his way to school.
At a press conference, R.K.S. Rathore, senior superintendent of police, Noida, said Chattrapal was arrested from an area in Noida’s 14 and 15 sectors. Chattrapal’s was the second arrest in the case. His cousin Jitender, an accused, was arrested soon after Anant returned home on Friday.
The sequence of events began to unravel as the police and Chattrapal narrated the incidents at the press conference. However, the last part of the story, of how Anant returned home alone, in an autorickshaw, remains to be explained. Rathore said that would become clear only with the arrest of Pawan, the second kidnapper.
Meanwhile, Gupta, who was present at the press meet, urged people to believe the police’s statements on the case. Rathore said, “Chattrapal conspired with Pawan to kidnap Anant and they had been keeping a close watch on the Gupta family. They had even taken the cellphone number of the guards posted at the Guptas’ house.”
Rathore said Chattrapal wanted to make some quick money. “He had even tried his hand at films and claims to have acted in a telefilm,” he said.
The police said Chattrapal and Pawn stole the motorcycle of one Suresh Kumar Sharma of Delhi on November 7 and put a UP number plate (UP 16 J 5268). The duo first planned to kidnap Anant on November 10 but they did not find an opportune moment. They returned on November 11 and 12 but since the school was closed for the weekend, Anant did not come out of his home.
Rathore said Chattrapal wanted to make some quick money. “He had even tried his hand at films and claims to have acted in a telefilm,” he said.
The police said Chattrapal and Pawn stole the motorcycle of one Suresh Kumar Sharma of Delhi on November 7 and put a UP number plate (UP 16 J 5268). The duo first planned to kidnap Anant on November 10 but they did not find an opportune moment. They returned on November 11 and 12 but since the school was closed for the weekend, Anant did not come out of his home.
On November 13, Rathore said, Chattrapal and Pawan entered Sector 15 A — where the Guptas reside — through Gate No. 1. Chattrapal was riding the bike; Pawan was the pillion rider. Rathore said they saw the maid taking Anant towards the bus stop. "They drove towards them, slowed their bike and Pawan snatched Anant and put him on his lap," said Rathore.
The police said Pawan and Chattrapal sped away with Anant, escaping through the same gate No. 1, and went past the Rajnigandha crossing at Sector 3. They stopped at a petrol pump to refill and headed for Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, where they stayed at the house of Pawan's relative. Rathore said they made two ransom calls to the mobile phone of Anant's mother Nidhi. They got the phone number from Anant's identity card.
The police said the kidnappers used the mobile phone of Jitender, who knew about the conspiracy, along with another one they had purchased to make ransom calls.