The Metropolitan Police said the three policemen abducted two businessmen accusing them of smuggling idols of archaeological value and extorted from them. The incident became known after victimized businessmen registered a complaint with police. [break]The three policemen were nabbed during a search operation by combined police squad of Metropolitan Police Range Office (MPRO), Hanumandhoka, Crime Division and Metropolitan Police Circle Office, Bauddha, according to DSP Chakra Bahadur Singh, spokesperson at MPRO.[break]
The arrested have been identified as sub-inspector Rudra Raj Paudel and assistant sub-inspector Raju Bhandari of Metropolitan Police Crime Division and sub-inspector Prakash Malla of MPRO.
According to DSP Manoj Kumar KC, the head at Metropolitan Police Circle Office, Bauddha, the three were arrested on the basis of CCTV footages provided by NIC bank, Kamaladi, that showed one of the accused at the bank accompanying the wife of one of the victims.
Businessmen Karnadhoj Limbu, 41, of Fapung-6 Taplejung and Suryaman Tamang, 31, of Nawalpur, Sindhupalchowk were abducted from Kumarigal-7 of Kathmandu on Sunday. The gang of three policemen in plainclothes had handcuffed the two businessmen and taken them to a guesthouse.
After bargain, the victims reportedly agreed to pay a total of Rs 400,000 for their release and paid Rs 261,000 on the same day. But the cops seized a motorcycle (Ba 52 Pa 3995) belonging to one of the victims, as surety until the whole sum is paid. Sub-Inspector Paudel had reached NIC Bank with Tamang´s wife to get the money from her.
Soon after being released by the captors, the victims registered complaint with police detailing the incident. Police then compared the CCTV footage from the bank with the physical descriptions given by the victims and were able to arrest the three on Wednesday.
MPRO has suspended the three from their posts and begun investigations. They have been remanded to six days in police custody for investigations by the Kathmandu District Court. DSP Singh said, "The accused have confessed to the crime so they will be charged as per the kidnapping and hostage taking act." Singh also informed that the two businessmen are also being investigated to ascertain if they are really involved in smuggling idols.
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