UP: Kidnappers demand ransom via video calls, assume they can't be tracked
Darshan Singh, a 55-year-old retired Punjab Police officer, was kidnapped on Tuesday in Bareilly while heading to a gurdwara.
Six men offered him a ride near Lal Phatak bridge, then robbed him of ₹64,000 and his watch before taking him to a forest.
The kidnappers used his phone to demand ransom through video calls.
Kidnappers assumed calls couldn't be tracked
Singh's wife paid ₹1.5 lakh in ransom via UPI over four installments and cleverly asked the kidnappers for their location for the next payment.
She shared this info with Singh's brother, who alerted the police.
Within six hours, officers tracked down the spot and rescued Singh.
Two suspects were arrested on Babhiya-Umarsia road with their motorcycle; four others are still missing.
Police said, "The kidnappers assumed WhatsApp and video calls couldn't be tracked," according to SP city Bareilly Manush Pareek.