Metropolitan Police Range Office, Lalitpur on Thursday arrested an Indian national from Kalanki of Kathmandu on the charges of allegedly kidnapping two Indian citizens for ransom about six months ago. The arrested was identified as Ravi Beladiya aka Tulsi Bhai aka Rudra, 24, from Gujarat of India. He was residing in Imadol-16 of Maha Laxmi Municipality in Lalitpur district. According to the police, the accused Beladiya with the assistance of Munna Patel, who is currently at large, plotted to kidnap the two men for a ransom amount of Indian Rs 500,000.

On March 27, Mahesh Patel and his uncle Walu Patel, who are from Surat-1 of Gujrat and were living in Dhangadhi-7 of Kailali district, were taken hostage by the accused under the pretext of renewing Indian license. "During their meeting in Nepalgunj, Beladiya told them that he has connections with officials at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and he could renew their licenses without any hassles," according to DSP Dayanidhi Gyawali, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police Range Office, Lalitpur. The two were easily convinced with their proposal and reached Kathmandu as per the kidnappers' plan, police said, adding, "But as they reached the rented room of Beladiya, the two knew that they were held as hostages. They were guarded by four men and ransom was demanded from their families in India."

Initially, the kidnappers had demanded Indian Rs 500,000 but the hostages were released after their family was ready to pay the ransom amount of Indian Rs 200,000 (NRs 320,000) within three days of the kidnapping. According to preliminary investigations, Beladiya and Patel were the masterminds of the kidnapping and after identifying that one of the victims was a staff of a diamond factory in India they carried on with the crime. After interrogation, it was learned that Muna is the major kingpin behind the crime but the police are yet to make the arrest. Beladiya, who was also at large since the incident, reached Kathmandu about two weeks ago from India. District Court Lalitpur decided to remand him in police custody for further investigation.