Missing since April 5, Karaya trader found in Arunachal forest
Times of India | 21 April 2024
Kolkata: A Kolkata-based trader who had gone missing from his Karaya residence on April 5 was found at the Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday morning. The valley is located 1,193 km from Kolkata and 568 km from Guwahati.
The trader, Noor Alam alias Munna, was tracked to a forest hut amidst dense forest closer to the international borders.Additional CP (I) Murlidhar Sharma confirmed that he was safe.
The search culminates a special operation by the Anti-Rowdy Section of the detective department ever since Noor's family received Rs 1 crore ransom call. Cops have arrested one Rakesh Singh, an aide of Noor, who had earlier worked in the northeast. More arrests are likely, an investigator said.
According to police, Noor went to Dibrugarh airport from Kolkata on April 5, the same day that he had gone missing from Tiljala Road. "Here, according to the trader, Singh and one Kumar had come to receive him. Thereafter, Noor was taken to a hotel in Paltan Bazar. A meeting was organized with the people with whom Noor reportedly had a Rs 70 lakh transaction recently with the promise of doubling the money. In the meeting, it was decided that the party will make an RTGS worth Rs 2 crore and that Rakesh and Kumar will give them another Rs 5 crore in cash. Accordingly, Noor Alam came with the accused to Arunachal Pradesh on April 6 and transferred Rs 2 crore. However, Rs 1 crore was returned to the account of the accused. Thereafter, when Rakesh and Kumar did not return with the promised money, Noor was kept as captive.
"Arunachal Pradesh police helped a lot in this probe, particularly Lower Bimang Valley SP Akanksha Yadav, who allotted a special team. It took us a couple of days to work out where they were hiding," said an officer. The police team is expected to return to Kolkata within the next few days.
Initially frightened after receiving ransom calls, the family kept the matter under wraps. But a few days ago, they were compelled to file a complaint at the Karaya police station when they realized that the kidnappers were not ready for any negotiations.
Based on the complaint, the police had registered a case against an unknown group of criminals under various non-bailable sections such as kidnapping (365), extortion (387), wrongful confinement (368), and criminal conspiracy (120B). After examining CCTV footage from the area surrounding his residence and also tracking the location of the mobile phone used to demand the ransom, Noor had "gone to northeast on his own free will".