Kathmandu, February 27:

Additional Inspector General of Police Keshav Baral today appealed to the public to cooperate with police to control crime.

Speaking at a press meet organised to make public the kingpin of a kidnapping racket, Baral said, “Police can do nothing without cooperation from the victims and public.”

“Societal trend shows people are reluctant to report to police. Imagine the situation when police are unaware of crimes taking police in the city.”

Police might have shortcomings, but cooperation between police and public is crucial for public safety, Baral said. While criminals have confessed to kidnapping 53 persons in Nepal, police have received three complaints, according to police.

How Murarka was freed?:

KATHMANDU: Police said Amar Tandon’s gang kidnapped businessman Mahesh Murarka from Mid-Baneshwor and took him to a house in Mandikhatar on December 17. The kidnappers freed Murarka after his family paid Rs 7.7m on December 22.

“The Murarkas stopped cooperating as kidnappers started beating Murarka as they knew Murarka’s family provided information to police,” a police official said.

The gang abducted Pawan Agrawal, kept him in Bouddha and freed him after his family paid Rs 2.5m. — HNS

Graduate kidnapper:

KATHMANDU: Forty-one-year old Amar Tandon, who hails from Rupandehi district, is a commerce graduate from the Mumbai-based Rajeja College and a member of an international kidnapping racket. Police said he was a member of an international drug racket and was awarded a 22-year jail term. Before police caught him with drugs, he used to deal in electronics, gold and foreign currency in Hong Kong from 1990 to 1997. He also used to run Pentasoft Computer Institute in Kathmandu from 2001 to 2004, said police.

“Abinash used to visit jail to meet Tandon and Ram Kumar Pyakurel. Together, they hatched plans to seek ransom by kidnapping people,” SSP at the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) Upendra Kant Aryal said. In 2007, Tandon outsmarted police in Teku on the pretext of going to the loo. At that time, police were taking Tandon back to the jail after a visit to a dental hospital.

“After that, he stayed in Mumbai and ran a kidnapping racket. He used to frequent Nepal,” Aryal added. He used to send money to the Luxembourg-based Real Deal Company through American national Jaan Hugg.

Tandon was planning to give up kidnapping and make investment in the company. — HNS