GUWAHATI:
Five days after he was abducted, the city police were able to rescue a youth from a resort in the Kerakuchi area under Sonapur Police Station in the city.
The victim Ankur Surana (30) son of Manoj Surana, a resident of son of JP Agarwal Road in Bharalumukh, was rescued in an injured condition.
Five persons have been arrested in this connection – Rupam Das (33), a resident of Amsing Jorabat (manager of PK Eco Retreat Resort); Rajen Kaimal (33), resident of Amsing Jorabat (cashier of PK Eco Retreat Resort), Azaharr Choudhury (29), resident of Hepkuchi under Baihata police station (works at PK Hardware, Amching), Haren Das (48), resident of Amsing Jorabat (lessee of the pond at PK Eco Retreat Resort), and Gautam Das (27), a resident of Amsing Jorabat.
They have been produced before the court of the chief judicial magistrate, who remanded them to five days police custody for further investigation.
Police also registered a case in Bharalumukh Police Station vide case No 41/2023 under section 365/364A of IPC in this connection.
The victim had been lured to a party at a resort by the name PRP valley in Amching, and when he was on his way to the party in his vehicle, he was abducted and kept confined in a room. After the abduction, the gang called up the victim’s sister and demanded Rs 19 crore as ransom for the safe release of her brother.
“The incident took place at Kerakuchi under Sonapur police station in Kamrup Metro district on February 1at around 11.30 pm. A case was registered on February 3 based on an FIR lodged by Manoj Surana (30) son of Shubhkarna Surana of JP Agarwal Road, Bharalumukh,” commissioner of police Diganta Baraah said.
“On February 2, at about 9:30 pm, the complainant informed the police that his son Ankur Surana had left home the previous night, that is, on February 1 at about 10:30 pm and had not yet returned. He had left in their Maruti S-Cross vehicle bearing registration No AS-01-BW-1580 (registered in his father’s name) carrying his two mobiles both of which were found switched off.
“On February 2, at around 7:15 pm the complainant’s daughter Umang Surana, who lives in Mumbai, received a call from an unknown caller through the internet based call stating that her brother Ankur Surana was with them and to ensure his safe release a certain amount of Rs 19 crore was to be deposited online through a link which would be provided to them the next morning.
“On February 3 at about 9:08 am the caller sent a link to a wallet along with a QR Code demanding to transfer 104 BTC (Bitcoins) to ensure the safe release,” the police commissioner informed.
A team of West Guwahati District Police swung into action to recover the kidnapped youth. The investigation proceeded in the right direction with the help of technical analysis as well as through conventional methods.
“Several people were questioned and the police zeroed in on the suspects. Probable locations where the kidnapped person may be kept confined had been identified and police teams dispatched to different locations in search of the kidnapped person as well as to nab the culprits involved,” Baraah said.
“Due to sustained pressure of police teams, the kidnapped person was released with injury on his body in the early hours, around 4 am, of February 4 at a place near Amching Tea Estate,” he added.