CAL secy rescued; seven kidnappers in police net

SPECIAL TASK force (STF) sleuths on Tuesday night finally succeeded to trace leading timber merchant and Cricket Association of Lucknow (CAL) secretary Khaliq Mukhtar Khan from a hideout in a Patna village in Bihar.

The cops not only rescued Khan but also nabbed seven of the gangsters who had kidnapped the victim on December 29 from Varanasi. Five others were also detained along with the kidnappers. About a week back only, the kidnappers had posted a cassette containing recorded voice of the victim, his photograph in detention and a letter carrying a demand of Rs 1 crore ransom.

While Khan is being escorted to his Lucknow residence by deputy SP STF Shahab Rashid Khan, ASP Vijay Bhushan has procured a transit remand from a Patna court on Wednesday evening to bring the kidnappers here.

The kidnappers had detained Khaliq in a house in Mathia village in Dhanerua police circle of Patna. Khaliq had left home on December 28 night for NTPC, Mirzapur by a train. It was confirmed during the investigation that Khaliq had reached Varanasi station next morning and subsequently was received by two of his acquaintances.

The police had gathered that Khaliq was taken in a car to Chandauli from where he was handed over to others. The police had information that Khaliq was kept somewhere in Bihar but they had no information about the exact location as the kidnappers had not made any contact for ransom. The STF sleuths swung into action no sooner the family members received a cassette containing Khaliq’s voice, his photograph in custody of the kidnappers and a letter asking for a ransom of Rs 1 crore in exchange of Khaliq’s safe return.

The STF sleuths, while scrutinizing the details collected from the sent items succeeded in locating the victim and the kidnappers. The Bihar police helped the STF sleuths during the operation.

Before the operation, ASP Vijay Bhushan met senior SP Kundan Krishnan. Khalid was kept in Shiv Mangal Gope’s house later.

Shiv Mangal, who had no criminal antecedents, was asked to keep Khaliq in his house by Ajay Kumar Yadav. Ajay was closely associated with gangsters operating in Patna. Khaliq was kept at Rohtas, Bhabhua and Koilwar before being brought to Mathiapar village, police said.

Khaliq was produced in the Masaurhi sub divisional court on Wednesday and taken to Lucknow later.

According to police, Ashish Khan, a resident of Karbigahia in Patna and reporter with a Hindi magazine, Bekhauf India, had asked Khaliq to come to Varanasi on the pretext of striking a business deal and abducted him. Ashish, an M. Tech, had introduced himself as a senior official of the NTPC, Sonbhadra then.