Kolkata: A medicine shop owner along with four more persons were arrested for allegedly kidnapping two employees of the shop.
The shop owner, Bikash Kumar Singh, allegedly demanded Rs seven lakh as ransom from them in Lake Town.
According to police, he had wrongfully restrained his two employees identified as Tanmoy Biswas and Somnath Bhattacharya. However, according to his statements, both Biswas and Bhattacharya used to take money from the cash counter without informing him. To get the money back Singh tried to force them.
Sources informed that approximately four days ago, Singh saw the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) camera footage where it was found that Biswas and Bhattacharya used to take money from the cash counter regularly early in the morning.
They were supposed to open the shop at 8 am but they were seen opening the shop almost two hours early.
A few days back, Singh demanded his money back. But Biswas and Bhattacharya denied the allegations. Later, Singh confined them to a house in Dum Dum Park area. He also called up Biswas's father Arun and demanded Rs 7 lakh as ransom.
Arun was threatened with dire consequences if he did not get the amount.
On Sunday evening, Biswas's father filed a written complaint with Lake Town police station. Immediately, police started monitoring the cell phone tower location of the number, which was used to demand ransom.
Late on Sunday night, the investigators identified the house at Dum Dum Park and recovered Biswas and Bhattacharya. All the accused persons were arrested.
The situation turned after Singh was produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrates (ACJM) court, Bidhannagar. Both the victims denied to record their statements before the magistrate as per section 164 of CrPC.
As the complainant appealed to withdraw the complaint, Singh and others were bailed out without any objection.
But the reason behind the reactions of the victims remain unknown. Biswa s's father was there at the court premises but refused to talk with media persons.