Four kidnappers took Dr. Surendra Kumar Singh, a homoeopathic doctor from Lucknow, captive for 36 hours while demanding ₹7 lakh. Dr. Singh, who resides in the Kamta neighborhood of Lucknow, was enticed to meet with the kidnappers on the evening of December 8, 2024, under the guise of talking about admittance to paramedical colleges. The meeting was set up close to the Kisan Path area, which is under the authority of the BBD police station. He met the accused and was taken by force.
In their own vehicle, the abductors—Ram Babu Verma from Gonda, Amit Kumar Verma from Gonda, Rajan Kumar from Basti, and Rajkumar Yadav from Basti—transported Dr. Singh between Ayodhya, Basti, and Lucknow. The perpetrators continued to hold Dr. Singh hostage while refueling the vehicle three times during the 36-hour ordeal. He was freed after the kidnappers lowered their initial demand of ₹20 lakh to ₹10 lakh. They were still awaiting the final sum, but they were able to move ₹7 lakh from Dr. Singh’s bank account to four different accounts.
Around two in the morning on December 10, the automobile had a flat tyre close to Tiwariganj on the Ayodhya route, ending the experience. After making his getaway, Dr. Singh called the police. The four kidnappers, who had been hiding in a Lucknow hostel, were apprehended by the police. They yielded a substantial amount of evidence, including four cell phones, a car, and ₹1.13 lakh in cash.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), which oversaw the inquiry, found that Ram Babu was having financial problems and thought he could extort ₹50 lakh from Dr. Singh because of his financial situation. Ram Babu was able to organize the kidnapping because he had previously rented Dr. Singh’s property. The kidnappers set up a trap for Dr. Singh since they thought he would arrive alone.
The accused was charged by the police with extortion, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal intimidation, among other offences under the Indian Penal Code. The case brought to light the plotting of the kidnapping syndicate and the victim’s eventual escape, which led to the effective arrest of all of the criminals.
SOURCE :
HINDUSTAN TIMES
