UP STF rescues Gonda businessman’s kidnapped son, arrests five

Providing more details, Prashant Kumar said, Additional Director General, Law and Order, said they received information that the kidnappers were at para village in Gonda and were changing the location of the boy in a car. A police team was rushed to the spot, he added.

The officer said that the assailants opened fire immediately after they spotted the police team. The police retaliated following which two persons, later identified as as Umesh Yadav and Deepu Kashyap, sustained bullet injuries. Other arrested persons are Suraj Pandey, Suraj’s wife Chabbi Pandey and Suraj’s younger brother Raj Pandey.

“We recovered the boy, who is in good health, from their custody,” Kumar said.

Police also claimed to have recovered a car, allegedly used in the crime, and three pistols from the accused’s possession.

“Combing operations are underway in the area. The accused are being interrogated and action would be taken against those involved in the conspiracy and also those who helped the kidnappers,” the officer said.

On Friday afternoon, two persons arrived at the victim’s house on the pretext of distributing masks and sanitisers from the health department. The culprits told the family that they should send someone to their vehicle parked near the house if they needed more of the two items.

The family sent the boy with them, they told the police. When boy did not return, the family started looking for him but to no avail. Later in the day, they claimed to have received a ransom call but did not disclose the amount demanded by the culprits.