2 IT firm owners kidnapped, dumped in Jaipur's Galta forest 11 hours later; Rs 1 crore ransom demanded

JAIPUR: Two owners of an IT company were allegedly kidnapped by a group of masked men in the city Thursday evening and released after an 11-hour ordeal, during which the abductors demanded a Rs 1 crore ransom. The two businessmen, residents of Jagatpura who run an IT firm near Mansarovar, were freed early Friday morning after the accused, fearing police action, abandoned them in the forests of Galta and fled without getting the ransom money. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Rajarshi Raj Varma said the accused were known to the duo and the case appears to be linked to a financial dispute. According to police, the two businessmen received a call around 6pm Thursday and were lured out on the pretext of an investment deal involving USDT, a cryptocurrency. They reached near ISKCON Temple in Jagatpura around 7pm, where the accused allegedly abducted them in a car. Police said the kidnappers used the victims' mobile phones to call their families to demand Rs 1 crore, directing them to bring the money to Goner. The families alerted the police control room, prompting multiple teams to begin tracking the suspects. Investigators said the accused kept moving across the outskirts of Jaipur in an apparent attempt to evade capture. Their route included Goner, Hingonia Gaushala, Indira Gandhi Nagar, Kho Nagoriyan, Kanota and Bassi, before they moved towards the forested areas of Nayla and Jamdoli. As police pressure mounted through the night, the kidnappers allegedly left the victims along with the vehicle in Galta forest area around 5.30am Friday. Police seized the car from the spot, while a forensic team examined the vehicle and nearby area.