IB, CBI sleuths kidnap engineer in Amritsar over ‘biz rivalry’, arrested

Punjab Police have arrested sleuths of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a Friday-night case of a software engineer’s “kidnapping” here.

Five accused -- IB head constable Jasminder Singh, CBI constable Manjit, DC office Suvidha Centre employee Varun Sareen, Jasminder’s relative Paramjit Singh, and driver Manmohan Singh -- were held, while two accused -- Dharamvir Singh and IB sub-inspector Pawan Kumar -- are on the run. They had identity cards. “Business rivalry seems to be their motive,” a police source said.

Amritsar police commissioner Amar Singh Chahal refused to give the media more details of the case that has shocked the investigators and embarrassed the two central investigation agencies. Police have sent a report to the Punjab government.

Software engineer Amandeep Singh, who returned from Canada three years ago, was kidnapped around 8.30pm on Friday from near Hotel MK at Ranjit Avenue here. His brother, Pardeep Singh, told police he had spotted a few men bundling his brother into a Toyota Innova car with a Delhi registration number.

Amandeep Singh was rescued from a hotel on the Tarn Taran road around midnight after ransom call to his brother was traced to the spot. The software engineer’s Mitsubishi Pajero SUV, which the kidnappers had taken away, was also recovered.

Police seal lips

After solving the kidnapping case within four hours, cops went into a silent mode over confirming that men from two central investigation agencies were involved in the crime. All day, top officers of the Amritsar police questioned the accused on the CIA (crime investigation agency) staff premises and, in the evening, released their names, holding back their designations in a attempt to hide their identities.

The case was registered at Civil Lines, under Sections 364 (kidnapping in order to murder) and 34 (common intent in crime) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).