SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted an inter-State job fraud and abduction racket, rescuing two youths from Jammu who were allegedly kidnapped and held captive in a hotel in Kolkata, officials said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference, SP Jammu South Ajay Sharma said the case came to light after a complaint was lodged by Jagmohan Singh at Police Station Gandhi Nagar, alleging that his son Maninder Singh and his associate Tushar Chib had been abducted in Kolkata.
According to the complaint, the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 35 lakh for their release.
Sharma said the victims were allegedly lured by the kingpin of the racket, Sunil Kejriwal of Panipat, Haryana, through his Jammu-based agents Pushvinder Singh and Ajay Kumar, on the pretext of arranging work visas for Australia.
“The youths were taken to Kolkata and confined in a hotel, where the accused made threatening calls to their families, demanding ransom and warning them against approaching the police,” he said.
Following the complaint, an FIR (No. 67/2026) under relevant sections of law was registered at Police Station Gandhi Nagar on March 19.
A police team led by Investigating Officer Inspector Vinay Kumar, under the supervision of SDPO South and SHO Gandhi Nagar Inspector Jaipal Sharma, was dispatched to Kolkata. With the assistance of Kolkata Police, the team successfully rescued the victims and arrested five accused.
The arrested persons have been identified as Sushil, Prashant, Praveen, Vansh Manjul and Mohammad Sameer Ansari, all residents of Panipat in Haryana.
“They have been brought to Jammu on transit remand, and further investigation is underway,” Sharma said.
During preliminary questioning, police found that the accused were operating under the directions of Sunil Kejriwal and another associate identified as Sameer, both of whom are currently absconding.
Police said the victims had been provided free travel tickets to Kolkata, while their families were allegedly duped of around Rs 34 lakh by the agents. The amount has since been recovered.
In a separate development, Sharma said that in three different theft cases registered at Police Stations Bagh-e-Bahu and Trikuta Nagar, police have recovered stolen gold and silver ornaments, including 2.15 kilograms of silver and one tola of gold, collectively valued at approximately Rs 30 lakh.
Further investigations in all cases are ongoing, police said.
