Main accused in Sunil Pal, Mushtaq Khan's kidnapping case arrested
What's the story
The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested Lavi Pal, the prime suspect in the abduction cases of comedian Sunil Pal and actor Mushtaq Khan.
Per reports, the arrest was made after a dramatic encounter on Sunday night in Bijnor's Mandawar area.
During the confrontation, Lavi fired at the police officers who retaliated and injured him in his right leg.
His accomplice managed to escape amid the chaos.
Evidence recovery
'Country-made pistol, cartridges, and cash seized from Lavi'
Confirming the arrest and seizure of evidence, Sanjeev Bajpai, Superintendent of Police (SP), Bijnor, reportedly said, "We have recovered a country-made pistol and cartridges along with ₹35K from Lavi's possession."
"Six gang members have already been arrested by the Meerut and the Bijnor police and cash worth over ₹4L has been recovered from arrested gang members so far," he added, as cited by Free Press Journal.
Legal proceedings
Lavi to be charged under the Gangster Act, other sections
Lavi is now undergoing treatment for his injuries at the Bijnor district hospital under police custody.
He will be booked under the Gangster Act, along with other relevant sections of kidnapping and extortion.
Earlier, one of the five suspects in the case was nabbed by the Meerut and Bijnor Police. Identified as Arjun Karanwal (26), he was shot in the leg in an encounter while he tried to flee from a police jeep on his way to a hospital.
Incidents
Details of Pal and Khan's abduction case
To recall, Pal was abducted in Meerut on December 2, under the pretext of attending a fake event. The kidnappers initially demanded ₹20L but managed to extort ₹7.5L from him.
After his release, they even gave him ₹20,000 to travel back to Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Khan was reportedly recently invited to an award show in Meerut on November 20 with advance payment and flight tickets.
However, on landing in Delhi, he was subsequently kidnapped and tortured.