Sunil Pal kidnapping: Police announce ₹25,000 reward to catch accused
The Uttar Pradesh Police have announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to the arrest of Lavi Pal, the prime suspect in the recent kidnappings of comedian Sunil Pal and actor Mushtaq Khan. The announcement comes after an undertrial prisoner in Meerut jail claimed he was also abducted by the same gang last year. The inmate identified a voice from an audio tape released by the kidnappers after they abducted Sunil.
'We have received a letter from Vivek Saini...'
Superintendent of Police (SP), Meerut, Ayush Vikram Singh, told Indian Express, "We have received a letter from Vivek Saini, an inmate from the district jail. He has claimed the same gang kidnapped him. He identified the voice which he heard in the audio tape released by kidnappers after they abducted Sunil Pal." "I have forwarded the letter to the Kotwali Police Station and directed them to give their report within three days."
Police intensify search for suspects in kidnapping case
Meanwhile, the police are conducting raids to nab Lavi and four other suspects. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Meerut, Vipin Tada said Lavi will be booked under the Gangster Act and his property will also be attached. The probe is on to find out how he got money to buy a new Scorpio car worth ₹15-19L when he has no known source of income.
Earlier, 1 of the 5 accused was shot by police
Earlier, one of the five suspects in the case was nabbed by the Meerut and Bijnor Police. The suspect, identified as Arjun Karanwal (26), was shot in his leg in an encounter while he tried to flee from a police jeep on his way to a hospital for a medical check-up on Sunday morning. After Karanwal's arrest, the police recovered a Scorpio SUV, a mobile phone, and over ₹2L in cash from his possession.
Details of Sunil's abduction and subsequent release
Reportedly, Sunil was abducted in Meerut on December 2, under the pretext of attending a fake event. The kidnappers initially demanded ₹20L but managed to extort ₹7.5L from him. After his release, they even gave him ₹20,000 to travel back to Mumbai. His wife later filed an FIR in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, and their statements were recorded by the police in both Mumbai and Meerut before the case was transferred to Uttar Pradesh authorities.
