Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force to arrest kidnappers of Piramal executive soon

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force, which has claimed to have identified kidnappers of Nicholas Piramal senior executive and his driver, today hinted that they could be nabbed in a day or two.

"A breakthrough (arrest of kidnappers) is possible in a day or two," a senior police officer told here tonight.

The STF, which had traced pharma company executive Ashwin Bhatt and his driver Babu Patel to a makeshift mud-hut in Chambal ravines of Morena district on January 26, had yesterday claimed to have identified the kidnappers.

From an analysis of manner in which kidnapping was executed and the place where victims were kept hostage, the STF has arrived at a conclusion that two separate gangs were involved in the crime.

Bhatt and Patel were abducted by armed persons when he was returning home to Indore from Gwalior in Toyota Corolla car on January 18.

Kidnappers took control of his car and dumped it in Nihalganj police station area in Dholpur district of Rajasthan, police said adding Bhatt and Patel were blindfolded and forced to walk for nearly four hours before being held hostage in the mud-hut.

Amidst speculations about huge ransom being paid to secure the release, police categorically denied that money exchanged hands.

Bhatt also supported police claims about ransom during his interaction with reporters at Indore, but claimed the kidnappers had informed him that they would demand a ransom of Rs two crore.