Realtor’s kidnapping: Desire for quick bucks drove wrestler to crime

It was the desire to earn easy money that drove Karam Singh, a national-lever wrestler and co-accused in the property dealer kidnapping case, to commit the crime.

It was the desire to earn easy money that drove Karam Singh, a national-lever wrestler and co-accused in the property dealer kidnapping case, to commit the crime.

Accused Karam Singh (second from right) and kingpin Jasbir Kaur covering her face with a dupatta outside the district courts in Patiala on Sunday. (Bharat Bhushan/HT)

The police said prime accused Jasbir Kaur, alias Jassi, took advantage of Karam’s financial crisis and his strong built and enticed him to kidnap the property dealer, 57-year-old Krishan Kumar. Jasbir had been planning to kidnap Krishan for ransom and was looking for musclemen to do the job for her. Karam had fallen on bad days and was eking out his livelihood by participating in cash-prize tournaments in and around Patiala. When Karam came in her contact, she realised that he was the right person for the job.

During interrogation, Jasbir told the police that the moment Karam shared his problem with her, she floated the idea that they would kidnap a rich man and seek ransom for her release. The deal was struck and they decided to share equally share the booty. The duo also decided that they won’t see each other after sharing the ransom and this would be their first and last kidnapping.

Station house officer (SHO) Bharpur Singh said Karam’s wife Bhavneet was unaware of the conspiracy. However, she was arrested on the charges of criminal conspiracy as instead of informing the police, she accompanied Karam in his car when he pushed Krishan into the Bhakra canal on March 19.

A local court has sent the accused to judicial custody. Meanwhile, Karam and Bhavneet’s six-month-old child, who is on mother feed, was with his mother in the lock-up.