Two people have been arrested after a YouTuber who was allegedly kidnapped from his studio in Rajasthan’s Tonk district was rescued after a police siege on high alert in Kotputli-Behror on Friday, police said, adding that efforts are on to trace the remaining three suspects.
According to police officers, Mahesh Gurjar was kidnapped from his studio in Newai area of Tonk district while he was sleeping with his friends. The kidnappers allegedly loaded him into a Scorpio SUV and reportedly planned to demand a ransom of $2,000. $20 lakh from his family, the officers said.
After receiving information about the kidnapping, Newai Police informed Kotputli-Behror Police. Sarvand police set up a blockade on the Nemkatana State Highway.
“Sarvand Police acted immediately upon receiving the alert from Tonk Police, resulting in the victim being safely rescued,” Kotputli-Behror Superintendent of Police Satveer Singh said.
During the operation, the suspicious vehicle was spotted near the Sarvand toll plaza, the SP added. When police signaled the SUV to stop, the occupants allegedly sped off, crossing the roadblock in an attempt to escape.
The police alerted nearby checkpoints and traffic units via the wireless network. Scorpio was eventually stopped due to a traffic jam in front of her. The accused abandoned the car and fled. Officers said Gurjar was found inside with injuries.
The police examined CCTV footage from the toll plaza and its surrounding areas, used technical surveillance, and arrested Ashish Meena and Aditya, both residents of Sohaila village. Officers said three others were still at large.
The police also found in their possession a homemade pistol and four live cartridges.
The initial kidnapping case was registered at Newai police station. Joint teams of Kotputli-Behror and Tonk police are conducting raids to arrest the remaining three accused.
