The Gujarat police have launched a statewide search for a sub-inspector who allegedly abducted a Non-resident Indian for ransom earlier this month.
The NRI -- Adam Gabhanwala -- was released after his family paid a ransom of Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million) to his abductors.
On June 3, the Gabhanwala family was on its way from Vahula village in Bharuch district to the Bharuch railway station to catch a train to Mumbai. Adam Gabhanwala was leaving for Britain after spending six months in his native village.
On the way, their car was intercepted by another car driven by a man sporting a tilak. He was accompanied by a sub-inspector and three others.
The sub-inspector told the Gabhanwala family that he would like to interrogate Adam as the latter was in possession of a bogus passport.
Adam and his brother Musa were forcibly taken away by the sub-inspector, who was armed and in uniform, to the Fatehganj police station in Baroda.
The sub-inspector, later identified as Takhtsinh Vaghela, then called up their family using Adam's cell phone and demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh (Rs 5 million) for their release.
Vaghela detained the brothers in the police station for over three hours while he negotiated the ransom.
After some bargaining, the Ghabhanwala family offered to pay Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million). They were asked to deliver the money to the sarpanch of Haldarva village.
The brothers were first taken to Dharmaj village and later released at Palej village near Bharuch.
The Ghabhanwala family did not file a complaint. But senior police officers in Baroda were tipped off about the abduction.
Police officers of Bharuch district filed a First Information Report at the instance of their seniors in Baroda.
Later, Musa reported to the police, but Adam had left for Britain by then.
According to a senior police officer of Bharuch district, the others involved in the incident were Jatin Vyas, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad member and president of the Bharuch district cow-protection committee, and three residents of Haldarva village near Bharuch.
The car used in the abduction is registered in Vyas's name.
The police are now searching for Vyas and Vaghela.
Police is also investigating if they were involved in similar incidents in the past.