Key Takeaways
- The Saroornagar police rescued two GST officials within hours of their abduction.
- Owner Feroze Syed of Grade One Iron Scrap and three associates were arrested.
- Kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs. 5 lakh before the officials were released.
Hyderabad: In a swift breakthrough, the Saroornagar police here have rescued two GST officials who were abducted by the proprietor of Iron Scrap and his three associates, within hours on Wednesday.
The police have arrested Feroze Syed, the proprietor of M/s Grade One Iron Scrap, located at Saroornagar and his 3 associates (one offender still absconding) and retrieved the Identity Cards of the officers and search authorization from them.
The officers have been sent for medical examination, the Directorate General of Goods & Service Tax Intelligence (DGGI), Hyderabad Zonal Unit said in a release here on Thursday.
As part of an investigation against firms involved in issuing fake invoices, the officers of DGGI have visited the premises of Iron Scrap firm on June 30.
However, the premises was locked and it was learnt that the keys were available with Feroze Syed, Proprietor, who was at Guntur at the time of visit by the officers.
Accordingly, the premises was sealed in the presence of independent witnesses and panchanama was drawn to that effect.
On Wednesday, V. D Ananda Kumar, SIO and Manish Sharma, IO of DGGI, Hyderabad Zonal Unit visited the premises of Grade One Iron Scrap again to conduct the search proceedings by opening the seal in the presence of the Proprietor and independent witnesses.
When the GST officers were about to initiate the search proceedings, the proprietor of the firm, Feroze Syed along with his associates threatened the officers and assaulted them.
The offenders snatched the identity cards of the officers and kidnapped them. They were taken away in their vehicle by threatening to kill them.
The offenders also demanded a ransom of Rs. 5 lakh from the officers.
Meanwhile, on receipt of information through driver, the senior officers of DGGI, Hyderabad Zonal Unit approached local police officers of Saroornagar Police station under jurisdiction of D.C.P L.B. Nagar of Rachakonda Commissionerate of Telangana State for immediate assistance and rescue them.
The police officers were swift in their action and intercepted the vehicle in which the officers have been kidnapped and rescued them.
A complaint has been filed with the local police.
