Jaisalmer: Police Monday solved a kidnapping, assault and robbery case within hours, arresting six people, including a 19-year-old woman, and detaining a minor, all residents of Noida, Uttar Pradesh.Jaisalmer SP Abhishek Shivhare said at a news conference Tuesday that the accused allegedly used the dating app Grindr to befriend a local grocery trader, lure him to a meeting and then kidnap him. The victim was allegedly assaulted, threatened with death and forced to transfer Rs 1.42 lakh via UPI into the accused’s bank accounts. His ATM card was also taken.Police said the accused attempted to avoid identification by destroying the SIM card from the victim’s phone, deactivating the e-SIM on his second handset and covering the number plate of their black Hyundai Creta with a T-shirt.The victim, identified as Dulendra Bhatia of Rakhecha Pada in Jaisalmer, was allegedly picked up near Bhatia Muktidham Monday afternoon and taken towards the Ramgarh bypass, where he was assaulted and kept confined in the vehicle for about one-and-a-half hours. Police said the group later drove towards Tanot Road but turned back fearing interception at the Lanela toll plaza and allegedly abandoned him near the Brahmsar intersection before fleeing.Bhatia sought help from a passer-by, borrowed a phone, informed an acquaintance and later filed a complaint at Kotwali police station.SP Shivhare said multiple teams were formed under Additional SP Suresh Sankhla and Deputy SP Roop Singh Inda, with personnel from Kotwali police station, the District Special Team, Tourist Security Unit and Abhay Command Control Centre deployed. Alerts were issued across the district and checkpoints were set up after the vehicle number RJ 45 CT 6060 was circulated.During the pursuit, police said the accused rammed their Creta into Additional SP Sankhla’s Bolero. The chase continued into a narrow lane where the vehicle got stuck, after which the accused allegedly abandoned it and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended.Investigators said seven people had travelled to Jaisalmer for the crime. While four allegedly carried out the kidnapping and assault, three others, including the woman and the minor, were reportedly near Sonar Fort and were later traced and detained or arrested.Police said preliminary findings indicate the Creta was hired from Bikaner. The UPI transaction amount has been put on hold, and a case has been registered at Kotwali police station.The accused were identified as Shivam, 21, from Yaktajpur alias Nayabas near Gonda police station in Aligarh district, UP; Daksh Kumar, 20, Rachna Bhati, 19, Yash Singh, 19, and Krishna, 23, all four from Gautam Budh Nagar, and Shubham Pal, 23, comes from Meerut Cantonment in the Kankarkhera police station area, Meerut district.
