LUCKNOW: A youth was allegedly abducted from his home, held captive for five days and forced to perform labour over an unpaid mobile phone instalment in Lucknow’s Nigohan area.His family has further alleged that the accused took him to a blood bank and had one unit of his blood drawn against his will.According to the family, the accused initially demanded Rs 2,799, the monthly instalment for a mobile phone purchased by the youth’s elder brother.Even after receiving the instalment amount, they allegedly refused to release the youth and demanded another Rs 12,000.The family was allegedly threatened with dire consequences, including that the youth would be killed and his body thrown into the Gomti river if they approached the police.The incident took place in Rajaramkheda village under Nigohan police station. Following the family’s intervention, the police eventually secured the youth’s release.The family, however, alleged that their initial attempts to lodge a complaint at the police station did not result in action.The youth’s mother subsequently approached the DCP office on Monday, following which DCP Mohammad Mushtaq directed the Nigohan station house officer to immediately register a case and arrest the accused. He also ordered an inquiry into the allegations of police inaction.Additional DCP, South Zone, Vasant Kumar Rallapali, said that an FIR under the charges of BNS 143 (3) (trafficking of person), 146 (unlawful labour), 127 (3) (wrongful confinement), 115 (2) (causing hurt ) has been registered against one unidentified person and another one Shubham Singh.According to the youth’s elder brother Rajkumar, the family had purchased a Samsung mobile phone worth ₹21,500 from Geeta Mobile Shop in Nigohan town around a year ago under a zero-down-payment arrangement.The phone was purchased on a 12-month EMI plan, with a monthly instalment of Rs 2,799.Rajkumar claimed that a month after the purchase, employees of the shop came to the family’s home and took away the phone.The youth’s mother, Jadurai, alleged that on September 8, two men arrived in the village on a scooter and forcibly took her son away.According to her, the accused first took the youth to a blood bank in Lucknow, where one unit of his blood was allegedly withdrawn.He was then allegedly taken to a house in the Sadar area and kept there for around five days, during which he was forced to perform labour.The family claims that the youth was not permitted to leave the premises during this period.The family alleged that after taking the youth into their custody, the accused contacted his elder brother and demanded the pending EMI of Rs 2,799.Rajkumar allegedly transferred the amount online and subsequently asked the accused to release his brother.However, instead of releasing him, the accused allegedly demanded another Rs 12,000.The family further alleged that the accused threatened to kill the youth and throw his body into the Gomti if they informed the police or failed to meet the additional demand.Following the threats, the family contacted the police.According to the family, after police intervention, the accused eventually agreed to send the youth to the police station in a Rapid cab on the fifth day.The cab fare was also allegedly paid by Rajkumar.
