2 Including Cop Arrested Over Kidnapping Of Businessman In UP's Kanpur

Two, including a police constable, were arrested on Saturday for allegedly abducting an elderly businessman for ransom and threatening to kill him if the ransom was not paid, police said.

The constable was identified as Mukesh Kumar, 37, posted at Pheel Khana Police Station, while his aide was 40-year-old Shalu Nanda, a tea vendor from Kidwai Nagar area, they said.

Shalu, also arrested, was nominated as a Special Police Officer (SPO) about two years ago.

Two others involved in the matter - Head constable Amit Kumar, posted with Kotwali Police Station and his associate Monu alias Buxar - are running away, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Pramod Kumar said.

The incident took place Friday evening when Raghuveer Chandra Kapoor, the victim, was at his grocery shop in Govind Nagar, and a man wearing khaki came there in a silver car, the DCP said.

The man claimed that he was from the Special Task Force and forced Kapoor into his car and drove from there, he said.

Soon after he was abducted, Kapoor's nephew Pankaj Kapoor received a ransom call from Monu who he knew. He asked Pankaj for Rs 35,000 for the release of his uncle.

Pankaj immediately called the police and told them about the ransom call.

Additional DCP (south) Ankita Sharma told PTI that the victim told them that there were two policemen in the car who claimed they were from the STF and only one of them was wearing uniform.

"We gathered information about police personnel with criminal records and found Mukesh had been booked in a kidnapping case just two years ago. That helped us crack the case," she said.

We have decided to terminate the services of Mukesh and Amit Kumar, the DCP (South) said.

"We have launched a special drive to identify the policemen with tainted backgrounds and transfer them to far away places from the city," he added.

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