'Paid Rs 8 lakh for my freedom': Comedian Sunil Pal sheds light on harrowing kidnapping ordeal

For stand-up comedian and actor Sunil Pal, the last few days have been nothing short of traumatic. The 49-year-old comic went missing and remained untraceable for several hours on Tuesday, December 3 after travelling outside Mumbai for a show. He, however, after hours of disappearance, contacted his family members and informed them that he was safe.

Now, in a rather shocking revelation, Pal claimed that the reason for his sudden disappearance on December 3 was due to the fact that he had been allegedly kidnapped and kept as a hostage. He said that the kidnappers demanded Rs 20 lakhs as ransom. According to Pal, he managed to settle the deal at Rs 8 lakhs after much negotiation, and was then finally released.

Sharing his experience from the terrifying ordeal during an interview with Hindustan Times, he said, "It was a full-fledged kidnapping, and it started when I got an invite for an event on December 2 in Haridwar."

"They paid 50 per cent in advance. They sent a car for pick up at the airport. I was shifted to another vehicle after one hour. That was the point when my nightmare started. I was told that they had kidnapped me, blindfolded me and taken me to a place. They said they had weapons, stressing that my life was in danger. There were 7-8 people, some drunk, shouting at me," he added.

"I told them that I didn’t have that amount of money, following which they agreed to ₹10 lakh. I called up many friends in Mumbai to collect the money and gave them ₹7.5-8 lakh for my freedom," he revealed to HT.

On Tuesday, Pal's whereabouts remained a mystery for several hours on and his mobile phone was also switched off, making it difficult for police to trace him, a police official said.

His worried wife approached the Santacruz police station on Tuesday evening seeking assistance to trace him as she feared her husband may have been kidnapped, the official added.

(With PTI inputs)