The Jaipur police (west) have successfully dismantled a kidnapping-for-ransom gang that allegedly abducted an elderly couple by luring them with a fraudulent property deal and extorted nearly Rs 48 lakh from them. Following the arrest of four accused, including the alleged mastermind, the Bhankrota police recovered Rs 44.50 lakh in cash, a pistol, the SUV used in the crime, and several household items believed to have been purchased with the ransom money.
Arrested Accused
The arrested individuals have been identified as Nishchit Tiwari alias Mohit Tiwari alias Gurpreet Singh alias Akhil Agrawal (40), believed to be the mastermind; Usman Gani (62) of Udaipur; Wasim Akhtar alias Golu (34) of Bihar; and Akhil Kumar Mahiwala (32) of Patna. The accused were brought to Jaipur on transit remand and formally arrested on May 15.
“After their arrest, our focus was to get the maximum recovery out of the extortion money,” said Prashant Kiran, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West).
Modus Operandi
DCP (West) Prashant Kiran stated that the gang specifically targeted elderly property owners through online real-estate platforms. The victim, Vijay Lakshmi, had posted an advertisement to sell her house in Vaishali Nagar on 99 Acres, a property website. Shortly after, Nishchit allegedly contacted the couple, posing as a wealthy Dubai-based gold trader interested in purchasing the property for approximately Rs 2.8 crore.
Police revealed that on May 2, the accused took the couple in an SUV to a villa in Balaji Enclave, Chordia City, where other gang members were waiting. The couple was allegedly assaulted, threatened with a pistol, and confined inside the villa for several days. The gang initially demanded Rs 60 lakh and eventually extorted about Rs 47.90 lakh through bank transfers and money arranged from relatives and acquaintances.
Investigation and Recovery
After receiving the ransom, the accused allegedly sent the couple to Delhi airport in a cab and warned them against approaching the police. Investigators later traced the accused through CCTV footage, call detail records, and technical surveillance. Police noted that Nishchit used multiple fake identities, forged Aadhaar cards, and several mobile numbers to conceal his identity.
