Delhi man kidnapped for loan recovery rescued; accused arrested from Maharashtra

A 40-year-old man has been apprehended from Maharashtra in connection with the kidnapping of a man in northwest Delhi to recover a loan taken by the victim, police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Gyaneshwar Chavhan (40), a resident of Maharashtra’s Jalna district, was arrested in connection with the abduction of Guddu Saroj, the police said.

A PCR call was received on December 27 regarding Saroj’s alleged kidnapping by unknown people in a car near Panchvati, opposite Azadpur Mandi. Initially, the caller, a passerby, could not provide further details, following which CCTV footage from the area was scanned.

“On December 29, a complainant approached the police and reported that his friend, Guddu Saroj, a resident of Adarsh Nagar, had been kidnapped around 7.30 pm on December 27 near Panchvati, Azadpur Mandi,” a senior police officer said.

He also alleged that one of the accused, identified as Rajaram, a resident of Jalna, Maharashtra, was demanding money for the victim’s release. A case was registered under Sections 140(3) (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or for ransom etc) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the BNS and an investigation was initiated, the police said.

During the probe, the police analysed footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras, which showed the victim being abducted by two men in a car. The car, bearing a Maharashtra registration number, was identified and traced to the Jalna district, he said.

Acting on technical surveillance, a police team travelled to Maharashtra, and during the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, rescued the victim from a remote farm area in the Panewadi village in the district. Chavhan was arrested during the operation, the police said.

The operation was challenging as local residents attempted to obstruct the police action, posing a potential risk to the victim’s life, but the team managed to safely rescue him and apprehend the accused, the officer added.

During interrogation, Chavhan allegedly confessed to committing the crime along with his brother Rajaram and another associate, Somnath Udadange of Ambad, the police said. The accused also revealed that the kidnapping was carried out to recover money related to an outstanding loan taken by the victim.

The police said efforts are on to trace and arrest the remaining accused.