Kidnapped entrepreneur flees custody

Biratnagar, April 28

Twenty-one days after his abduction, Biratnagar-based entrepreneur Pradip Dugad managed to escape from the kidnappers’ clutches today. Police have arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in Dugad’s abduction.

Abducted from a place near Tribhuvan International Airport on April 8, Dugad managed to escape from Biratnagar’s Bargacchi chowk today.

Dugad appeared at the District Police Office, Morang and said that he was held captive in a place near Chapal Karkhana for 21 days in Kathmandu. “When I left for Kathmandu, kidnappers must have followed me from Biratnagar. As I exited from the airport, I was abducted,” he shared.

According to Dugad, the kidnappers sought Rs 5 million in ransom. “When I replied I could not give such a big amount, they asked me to transfer ownership of my Biratnagar-based house in their names,” Dugad said. He said the two kidnappers — Rishi Yadav and Tejjung Basnet —had taken him to Biratnagar by plane after he agreed to give them the house. “I managed to escape while we were at Bargachhi Chowk”, he said.

According to Dugad, he came to Biratnagar to transfer ownership of his house in their names after he gave Rs 3 lakh to them on Thursday. Rishi and Tejjung were held by the police.

Morang SP Sandip Bhandari said that the incident was sensitive. “We cannot say whether or not the incident was an abduction as investigation is under way,” SP Bhandari said.