KATHMANDU, May 23: Two gangsters involved in kidnapping activities in Kathmandu Valley were killed in a police action near Tokha Road at Basundhara in Kathmandu at 2 a.m. on Saturday. [break]
Officials at Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD), Hanumandhoka, said Ramesh Shah and Sujit Tamang were killed in police action after they opened fire on a police patrol led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sher Bahadur Basnet near Greenland School. They were involved in the kidnapping of Dundup Lama of Gangabu VDC-3, Kathmandu.
The duo on a motorcycle opened fire on the police team as it tried to stop them. They were killed as police retaliated against them in self defense, the police said.
The police team had reached Tokha for a operation to search for the kidnappers. Two other members of the gang managed to flee before the police reinforcement could reach there.
The shooting from the gangsters has left the front part and rear windscreen of the police vehicle damaged.
Police have recovered two pistols, five rounds of bullets, 17 cartridges, one motorcycle, two sets of mobiles phones and other documents from the incident site.
The MPCD, Hanumandhoka, arrested 14 persons involved in Lama´s kidnapping. Two more are still at large. The arrested were made public at a press conference organized at Metropolitan Police Commissioner´s Office, Ranipokhari.
The gangsters had kidnapped Lama from Swayambu area on May 20 and subsequently demanded a ransom of Rs 50 million. However, they had agreed to release Lama on Rs 7 million in ransom.
According to DSP Basnet, the kidnapping gang had released Lama from Balkhu on the next day (May 21) after the victim´s family deposited the agreed amount in their bank account.
The kidnappers had made an unknown girl to talk to Lama over the phone for over 15 days. When Lama reached Swayambhu at the request of the girl, the gang kidnapped him.
Police had managed to bust the kidnap ring based on the tip-off provided bya a person arrested while withdrawing the deposited money from a Nepalgunj-based bank.
The arrested have been identified as Prabin Tamang, 26, of Pokhara-12, Kaski; Santa Bahadur Thapa Magar, 22, of Dhapasi, Kathmandu; Bhakta Bahadur Lama, 21; Pramod Thapa, 25, of Gerkhu VDC-9, Nuwakot; and Binek Shrestha, 19, of Khaharepangu VDC-4, Kavre district. Prabin Tamag was the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
Suraj Gupta, 22, and Nabin Gupta, 24, of Biratngar, Morang; Dipak Tamag, 27, of Jiwanpur VDC-5, Dhading; Mana Bahadur Tamang, 17; Saroj Sinkhada,24; and Tirtha Man Tamang, 32, of Chhatredeurali VDC-7 in Dhading were also among the arrested.
MPCD, Hanumandhoka, also arrested Chunnan Jasgardh, 39, of Jaispur VDC-4, Banke; Nijamuddin Salmani, 26, and Mohammad Yunus Khan, 28, of Nepalgunj in this connection.
Police have recovered pistols, brown sugar, mobile sets and three motorcycles, among other things, from the arrested.
