Armed men abduct trader for Rs 2 crore ransom

A prominent businessman was kidnapped along with his driver in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut town, police said on Wednesday. The kidnappers have asked for a ransom of Rs 2 crore.

Sudhir Mahajan, the managing director of a cricket bat manufacturing firm – BDM, was abducted late Tuesday in Meerut.

The car driven by his driver Ravinder was stopped by the armed abductors near the Ganganagar police post and Mahajan along with his driver was kidnapped, police said. They were driving back to his home in Defence Colony in the Lal Kursi area when the kidnappers struck, said Senior Superintendent of Police.

Mahajan’s car was found abandoned in the Mawana area. On Wednesday morning, his son Siddharth received an SMS from his father’s mobile phone in which the abductors sought a ransom of Rs 2 crore for his release.

District police chief has formed surveillance and special teams. The special operations group has been pressed into service. S P (rural) R P Pandey said they have found some clues and are hopeful of recovering the trader soon.

City traders have expressed concern over the kidnapping and warned of protests if Mahajan was not recovered safely.