A sixth suspected member of the gang accused of kidnapping Hindi film actors to extort money was arrested on December 17 in Bijnor. The gang used fake event invitations to lure the artistes, including Mushtaq Khan and Sunil Pal, besides Rajesh Puri earlier. The gang gained their trust by making advance payments and sending air tickets for their travel.
The sixth suspect, Shiva, is a close associate of the alleged gang leader, Lavi Pal, who is still absconding. The police seized Rs. 11,000 from Shiva.
Bijnor SP Abhishek Jha said that the gang had 10 members, four of who were arrested earlier. The four arrested are Sarthak Chaudhary, Sabiuddin alias Shabby, Azeem and Shashank Kumar. Another member, Arjun Karanwal, was arrested separately by the Meerut police. Jha added that Sarthak Chaudhary had disclosed that Lavi had connections with several Bombay actors, and he had masterminded the operations and the abductions.
