Kidnappers in Ghaziabad forced a hostage’s family to show them valuables over a video call before collecting ransom, police said. The incident took place late Wednesday night when three men abducted 24-year-old Mayank Mishra, an employee of a digital marketing firm, near IPEM College, a TOI report stated.
How the abduction took place
According to police, Mishra had dropped off a friend near IPEM College around 11.30pm when one of the assailants held him at gunpoint. Two others arrived on a scooter and overpowered him. The men took control of Mishra’s car and drove him around the Delhi-Meerut Expressway for nearly three hours while holding him hostage.
Threats and ransom demand
Mishra said the kidnappers beat him, stabbed him in the leg, and forced him to unlock his phone. “During the video call with my brother, they threatened him that if he disconnected the call, they would kill me. They asked my brother to show the locker of the almirah, where they found two gold chains, two gold coins, two silver coins, cash of Rs 90,000, and other items,” he told TOI.
The kidnappers then instructed his brother to come to NH-9 near IPEM College with the valuables. Around 1.30am, one of them collected the items, which police estimated to be worth around Rs 10 lakh, before threatening to kill Mishra if police were informed.
Attempts to withdraw more money
The men also checked Mishra’s bank account and found Rs 10,000. They tried to convert it into cash by offering transfers to strangers and petrol pump staff in exchange for money, but no one agreed.
Mishra said he was released around 2.15am when the kidnappers left him near Mohan Nagar after damaging his phone and discarding his car keys. “I went to Vijay Nagar police station and filed a complaint. But police took more than 24 hours to lodge an FIR,” he said.
Police investigation
Ritesh Tripathi, ACP Kotwali, said an FIR was registered on Friday against three unknown persons under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 309 (4) (robbery) and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of BNS. He said police teams had been formed and CCTV footage was being examined to trace the accused.
