Telecom firm manager kidnapping case: Three more arrested in UP

Hathras: Three more accused wanted in connection with the abduction of a private telecom firm manager were arrested after a brief encounter with the police in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Sunday.

Hathras SP Chiranjeev Nath Singh said during routine patrolling on Ruheri cut, Thana Hathras police station area, three people on a bike were asked to stop but they increased the speed to flee away and fired at the police which was retaliated.

In the exchange of fire, two of them were shot in the leg while another was arrested during searches.

The accused were identified as Prashant from Bulandshahr, Anshul from Hathras and Prince alias Virendra from Almora in Uttarakhand.

Prashant and Anshul who were wounded in the encounter were rushed to the district hospital.

During preliminary investigation, it was found that Prashant has four criminal cases registered against him.

Two country-made pistols, cartridges and a bike were recovered from the accused.

On Saturday, a joint team of police from Moradabad, Hathras and the Special Task Force rescued Abhinav Bhardwaj, manager of the telecom firm, after a brief encounter with the accused.

Bhardwaj, posted in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, was abducted by the accused on January 1.

When Bhardwaj did not return, his family started looking for him and filed a missing report.

The accused telephoned Bhardwaj's family and demanded Rs 20 lakh failing which they would kill him.

"On Saturday, Bhardwaj was rescued from the clutches of the accused after a brief encounter in Moradabad," police said.

The police seized Rs 50,000 cash, a mobile phone and other items from the accused.

The accused had demanded the money in the name of notorious criminal Tillu Tajpuria.

The accused, identified as Vishal, Sujal Kumar and Karan Bisht, were arrested on Saturday.

IANS