Thane: A businessman from Kalyan who plotted his fake abduction for ransom from his elder brother has been arrested along with his brother-in-law here, police said on Friday.
Addressing newsmen here last evening Additional Police Commissioner Crime Milind Barambhe said that the accused, a 34-year-old businessman Piyush Patel staged his kidnap drama for getting money from his elder brother Pritesh (38), a builder, after he incurred heavy losses.
His brother-in-law, Vijay Patel was also part of the conspiracy. Piyush owned a gas agency in Kalyan, and found it difficult to honour his financial commitments. On Wednesday the accused called his wife and informed her that he would come home late.
Later Piyush made a call to his brother under a fake name Salim and informed him that his brother was in his custody and demanded Rs 1 crore ransom for his freedom.
Pritesh informed the police in the night itself about the call. Piyush's worried wife Harsha informed her brother Vijay too about the abduction and the police complaint.
Panicked, the duo spent the night in a road side hotel near Mira Road awaiting the ransom.
In the morning, the duo travelled in a motorbike and Piyush went to the Virar police station and narrated how he was 'kidnapped' held captive and how he gave a slip and escaped from the clutches of his abductors.
The Virar police called their Kalyan counter parts and handed over Piyush to them.
A close probe by the police at Kalyan revealed that the entire episode was stage managed for money and arrested the two last evening.
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 09, 2012, 13:17