Guj: Eight held for kidnapping businessman's son in Surat

Eight persons were arrested onFriday for allegedly kidnapping a businessman's son andextorting a ransom of Rs 1 crore from his family in Gujarat'sSurat city.

Based on a tip off, the Surat crime branch firstapprehended four persons, who were allegedly trying to flee toVadodara with Rs 99.14 lakh cash, and then nabbed the otheraccused from near Kosamba bridge on Surat-Vadodara Highway, anofficial said.

Businessman Anwar Dudhwala had approached the policeon Thursday alleging that his 36-year-old son Komil waskidnapped by unidentified persons when he was returning homefrom a gym in the morning on his motorcycle, the officialsaid.

As per the complaint, four persons kidnapped Komil ina car after knocking him down from his bike, and later calledthe family, demanding a ransom of Rs 3 crore, he said.

The police instructed Dudhwala to negotiate with thekidnappers and settle for Rs 1 crore as ransom, followingwhich the accused released the victim on Kamrej highway onThursday night after getting the money, he said.

The accused have been identified as Ajay Damla, ChiragYadav, Sonu Goswami, Faizkhan Usman, Arvind Vadhel, IshtiyakShaikh, Irshad Multani and Santosh Patil.

Apart from the cash, police also recovered twocountry-made pistols and three cartridges from theirpossession.

Barring Vadhel and Patil, six others are repeatoffenders involved in cases of theft and robbery, it wasstated.