KATHMANDU: Police on Thursday said they have arrested four persons including two sub-inspectors of Nepal Police for their alleged involvement in holding a man hostage and collecting ransom.

The suspects have been identified as Raj Kumar Gurung aka Kumar (34) of Rupendehi district, Arjun Bahadur Lama (39) of Kavre district, Sambat Tamang (32) of Kapan in Kathmandu and Surya Bahadur Thapa (42) of Jhapa district.

Tamang and Thapa are policemen currently deployed at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala.

DSP Ajaya KC, who led the investigation team deployed from the Metropolitan Crime Division, told THT Online that the four took Badri Rai (43), a foreign employment recruitment company operator, under control after knowing that he had some gold in his possession.

They also learned that a person named Phurpa Sherpa received the gold from Rai and began interrogating Rai about Sherpa's whereabouts.

In this context, they abducted Rai and took him from Koteshwor to a Sinamangal-based house on January 14 and forced to pay Rs 230,000 to them.

They also made him give four cheques with a collective face value of Rs 10 million to them. The victim, however, was released the same night.

After the release, Rai had filed a complaint at the MCD. The KC-led police team had arrested them from various places of Kathmandu Valley on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, police said the suspects have been sent to the Metropolitan Police Range for further investigation yesterday.