Indore: For hospitalised friend’s treatment, man takes woman hostage for money

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A friend in need is a friend indeed! But this friend went too far to arrange for money for the treatment of his friend, took a woman living in his neighbourhood hostage and forced her to transfer Rs 50,000 for his friend’s treatment. The incident took place at Swarna City, under Simrol police station. The police said the victim was a 28-year-old woman. She alleged that the accused, Satish Chouhan, lived near her apartment. The victim knew the accused only as her neighbour.

The police said that, on the day of the incident, the victim was at home. The accused knocked on her door and entered her house on the pretext of asking for something. He then locked the door from inside and, when she walked into the hall from within the house, Satish attacked her with his bare hands. He pinned her hands down and asked her to give him money. When the victim started screaming, he stuffed a rag inside her mouth and tied her hands. He made her sit there and again demanded money. When she said she had no cash with her, he forced her to make a transaction of Rs 50,000 to his UPI.

The victim transferred the money from two of her accounts in sums of Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000. When the money got transferred, the accused untied the victim and fled from the place taking away her ATM cards, said a police official.

A few hours after the incident was reported, the police arrested Satish. During interrogation, he told the police that his friend was admitted to a city hospital and was undergoing treatment. He was in need of money for his friend’s treatment. He tried to borrow money from his acquaintances, but, when nobody lent him any, he decided to coerce the woman into giving him money.