Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A businessman was kidnapped at gunpoint by half a dozen persons in the Bag Sewania area on Sunday evening.
The victim, identified as Praveen Gaur (47), was allegedly forced into an SUV, assaulted, and robbed of his cash, mobile phone, gold ring, and other belongings. A freak vehicle collision led to his escape. He lodged a police complaint about 15 hours later.
The Bag Sewania police said a case of abduction, assault, and robbery has been registered, and a hunt is on for the accused.
According to reports, Gaur, a resident of the Katara Hills area, works as a property dealer. He came into contact with Namita Gupta, with whom he and his friend Mahesh Gaur started a cryptocurrency business. However, the venture collapsed, leading to financial losses and disputes. Gupta reportedly blamed Gaur for the losses and demanded compensation.
On Sunday, a man called Prateek allegedly called Gaur near a Dairy in BagSewania under the pretext of a property deal. There, Gupta, Prakash Dutta, and some others arrived, allegedly overpowering Gaur. They snatched his mobile phone and pushed him into an SUV.
Gupta allegedly sat in the front passenger seat while the others surrounded Gaur. The gang allegedly took him towards Karond while beating him repeatedly. The assailants tried to strangle him even as they forced him to make a video confession, calling himself a fraud. The accused planned to hold him hostage at a farmhouse to demand ransom from his family.
They allegedly robbed him of Rs 8,000 cash and a gold ring. At Karond, the SUV collided with a loading auto, drawing the attention of the traffic police. In the chaos, Gaur managed to escape and got home.
Police officials said Gupta, who reportedly works as a product manager with a company in Itarsi, along with the other suspects, is absconding.
