Temple priest, fake kidnapper brought back to Anand

Anand, May 9 (UNI) A local police Crime Branch team which had gone to Uttar Pradesh in search of a Gayatri Mandir priest, who was kidnapped from Anand on April 25, returned here today with the priest Pravinbhai Parsottambhai Patel, the mastermind Ram Sevak Badhayu and the complainant Rajubhai M Joshi.

Addressing mediapersons this evening after the team's visit, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Deepak Bhatt said this case had ended well and Patel was brought safely by the team, unlike a similar case last year in Rajkot that had resulted in the death of a person.

He said Badhayu, the brain behind the kidnapping and a native of Uttar Pradesh, had taken Patel and Joshi of Bhimnath Mahadev Mandir to Uttar Pradesh from Anand under false pretence.

On April 27, the trio had alighted at Kazigunj railway station in Uttar Pradesh. A little while later, Patel had gone missing. Badhayu then instructed priest Joshi to return to Alarsa village saying that he would search for Patel at Kazigunj.

However, no sooner did Joshi reach Alarsa, he received a call from Badhayu informing him that Patel had been kidnapped by a UP gang and that they had demanded a ransom of Rs 40 lakh for his release. However, the matter was settled for Rs 20 lakh.

Mr Bhatt said Badhayu had no criminal record and since he was desperate for money resorted to a fake kidnapping.

The police team, headed by PSI Harpalsinh Rathod, held Badhayu and Patel from a house, DSP said.

Interestingly, Patel was not aware that a kidnap drama was being enacted on his behalf, he added.

UNI