GONDA: A medical student was allegedly kidnapped from the city and Rs 70 lakh ransom has been demanded from his family members for his release, police said on Tuesday.
"Gaurav Haldhar, a resident of Kashipur locality in Payagpur area of Bahraich district, is studying BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine, and Surgery) in a private institute -- SCPM College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, Haripur -- and was residing in the hostel. He went missing from the hostel from Monday afternoon at about 3-4 pm," Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey said.
Gaurav's father got a ransom call on Tuesday afternoon in which the callers demanded Rs 70 lakh ransom and threatened to kill his son if the money was not paid, he said.
"Your son has been kidnapped. You pay Rs 70 lakh by Jan 22 if you want the release of your son," the caller is purported to have said according to Gaurav's father.
The family, which were in search of Gaurav, immediately informed the police and an FIR was registered in the matter.
The SP said that immediately senior officers rushed to the student's college and inquired about him with his friends.
"Teams have been constituted for safe release of the student. Special Operation Group and surveillance teams are also on the job," the SP said. When asked about the development in the case, a senior officer said, "The call records of Gaurav are being looked into. We are trying to find clues from that. Also, the police is exploring if there is any CCTV installed around the college. All angles are being looked into."
The SP said Gaurav received a phone call between 2.30-3 pm on Monday after which he told his friends that he would come back after some time and went out of the hostel but did not return.
"No one informed the police then," the SP said adding that on Tuesday evening police came to know about the incident when family members got the ransom call.