Two wanted in antique dealer kidnap case arrested; carried Rs 25,000 reward

Lucknow: Police on Monday arrested two wanted men carrying rewards of ₹25,000 each in connection with the abduction and extortion of an antique dealer who was allegedly kidnapped by a gang impersonating police officers and forced to hand over ₹13 lakh in cash along with gold and silver jewellery. Police said ₹1.34 lakh in cash was recovered from the two during the operation.The arrests were made by a joint team of Krishna Nagar police and the Southern Zone Surveillance Cell as part of an investigation into what police described as an interstate network involved in kidnapping and extortion.The accused were identified as Pankaj Bhushan Kumar (47), a native of Nalanda district in Bihar currently living in Hyderabad, and Navneet Singh (32), a resident of New Behsa in Lucknow’s Sarojini Nagar area. DCP South Zone Mohammed Mustaq said the duo had been absconding since the case was registered at Krishna Nagar police station.Police said six other accused linked to the case were arrested on Sept 20 and sent to judicial custody. Investigators tracked the remaining suspects using CCTV footage, technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs, Mustaq said.According to police, the case relates to the alleged kidnapping of Sudarshan Ghosh, an antique dealer who lives in the Alambagh area. Investigators said the gang targeted him after collecting information about his business and financial condition.ADCP Vasant Kumar Rallapalli said interrogation indicated the group identified people believed to have substantial wealth. Police alleged Navneet, who had prior links with the antique trade, knew Ghosh and tipped off other members about valuables the dealer possessed. The suspects then conducted reconnaissance of Ghosh’s movements before allegedly executing the crime on Sept 12.Police said several gang members approached Ghosh near his office, introduced themselves as police personnel, displayed forged identity cards and forced him into a vehicle under the pretext of official questioning. The kidnappers allegedly threatened him and made him call his family to arrange money for his release.Investigators said Ghosh’s driver later delivered ₹13 lakh in cash and gold and silver ornaments to the gang, after which the victim was released near Shaheed Path. Police said the group used vehicles fitted with forged number plates to avoid detection, and the extorted money and jewellery were later divided among the accused, with a portion spent on personal expenses.Police said the two arrested men had recently returned to Lucknow and were detained while allegedly seeking another target.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in LucknowStay updated with the latest Lucknow news. Download the TOI App.