Six booked for kidnapping comedian Sunil Pal

The Santacruz police have registered an FIR against six unidentified people for allegedly kidnapping actor and comedian Sunil Pal in Uttarakhand last week and extorting a ransom of ?8 lakh.

The case has been transferred to Meerut police for further investigation as Pal was reportedly released on a road in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

On Thursday, the Santacruz police recorded the statement of Pal, where he had alleged that he was abducted and later released after payment of ransom.

The Santacruz police said Pal’s wife had approached them to lodge a missing person’s complaint, saying she had been unable to reach her husband on the phone since December 2. Pal had gone to Uttarakhand for a show.

When Santacruz police managed to establish contact with Pal, he confirmed that he was on his way back to Mumbai.

Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Pal said that he had been abducted for ransom. He had called up friends and arranged the payment, as he did not want his wife to find out about the kidnapping.

Pal also said he was lured to Uttarakhand on the pretext of an event in Haridwar. The organisers had even transferred an advance payment to confirm the deal.

However, when they stopped for snacks en route to the venue, a man pretending to be a fan allegedly pushed him into a car and drove off. According to Pal, he was blindfolded and taken to a secluded spot where several people were waiting.

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His captors reportedly demanded a ransom of ?20 lakh for his release, threatening to drown him otherwise. Pal reached out to his friends and arranged ?8 lakh. Once they received the money, the captors released him on a road in Meerut from where Pal said, he reached Delhi airport by auto and then took a flight to Mumbai.

“Since the incident took place in Meerut police station jurisdiction, we have transferred the case there,” said a police officer from Santacruz police station.