Four members of a gang have been arrested for kidnapping actor Mushtaq Mohammad Khan at the Delhi airport, holding him captive in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, and demanding ransom, police officials reported. The gang was also planning to kidnap actor Shakti Kapoor under the pretense of inviting him to an event.
On December 9, Mushtaq Khan’s event manager, Shivam Yadav, filed a complaint about the incident. The complaint stated that Lavi (also known as Rahul Saini) had sent an advance payment of Rs 25,000 and an air ticket to Mushtaq Khan to invite him to an event in Meerut.
Upon arriving at the Delhi airport on November 20, Mushtaq was picked up by a cab driver who took him to a well-known 'shikanji' shop between Meerut and Delhi.
There, Mushtaq was forced into another vehicle, where more people joined. He was then threatened and told he was kidnapped and held captive at Lavi's house. The kidnappers took Mushtaq’s bank details and password.
On the night of November 20, they drank alcohol and slept. The next morning, Mushtaq managed to escape and reached a mosque in Mohalla Chahshiri. Locals contacted his family, who helped him return home.
On November 21, the kidnappers withdrew Rs 2.2 lakh from Mushtaq’s bank account while shopping in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.
Gang membersaArrested
The arrested gang members have been identified as Sarthak Chaudhary, Sabiuddin, Azim, and Shashank. Police recovered Rs 1.04 lakh from their possession.
The gang had been kidnapping film stars by sending advance payments and air tickets disguised as event invitations.
Shakti Kapoor’s narrow escape
The investigation revealed that Shakti Kapoor was also targeted by the gang. He was offered Rs 5 lakh to attend a similar event, but the deal fell through after the gang demanded a large advance.
Police are now looking into whether the gang was involved in other kidnappings of film stars. Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining members of the gang, including Lavi.
In a related incident, Arjun, one of the kidnappers involved in comedian Sunil Pal’s abduction, was shot and injured in a police encounter in Meerut on Sunday.
Arjun, who had been arrested on Saturday, tried to escape by snatching a sub-inspector’s pistol and firing at police. Authorities retaliated, injuring him in the exchange.
The police recovered a Scorpio SUV, Rs 2.25 lakh in cash, and a mobile phone used in the kidnapping from Arjun. Investigations are ongoing, and police are searching for his associates, believed to be linked to the Bijnor-based gang involved in the Mushtaq Mohammad Khan kidnapping.
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