Cops arrest absconding accused in kidnapping case

New Delhi: Nearly three months after an on-duty Delhi excise department staffer was kidnapped and assaulted, police have arrested the main accused from Dhaula Kuan.

The accused, identified as Sahab Singh, a resident of Sonipat, Haryana, had been absconding since Feb after allegedly abducting and assaulting the excise official along with his associates.

According to police, the incident took place during the intervening night of Feb 22 and 23. A case was registered at Shalimar Bagh police station under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Police said the complainant was allegedly assaulted and forcibly abducted in an i-10 car while performing official duty. He was then taken to Bahalgarh in Haryana, where he was allegedly assaulted again inside a liquor warehouse.

During the investigation, three accused were arrested earlier, but Singh had managed to evade arrest despite repeated raids.

A senior police officer said that on May 11, the crime branch received specific information about the accused’s movement from Dhaula Kuan towards Khatu Shyam. “Acting on the tip-off, a team laid a trap near Dhaula Kuan Bus Stand and apprehended him around 10.30am,” the officer added.

The accused is a habitual offender with involvement in five criminal cases in Delhi and Haryana, including cases related to human trafficking, rape, kidnapping, assault and excise violations.

Singh was later produced before the court, formally arrested and remanded to judicial custody.