The Metropolitan Police Crime Division apprehended two people,  who threatened to kidnap students of Gyaneshwor-based Galaxy Public School and son of Geeta Rana, the school’s principal, for ransom. Cops in civil dress were  deployed from the MPCD arrested 44-year-old Pralhad Shrestha of Thamel with Rs 50,000 from Naxal and 42-year-old Pramod Raj Panta of Balaju from Lake Side, Pokhara earlier this week. SSP Sarbendra Khanal, MPCD in-charge, said Panta used as many as 17 mobile phone numbers to call Rana, who is also a Member of Parliament, and threatened to kidnap her son as well as students if the ransom was not paid. “Rana lodged a complaint with the MPCD seeking legal action against the culprits after she received calls from different phone numbers with the caller threatening to kidnap her son and students,” Khanal informed. Panta is the operator of Horse Show Resort Mountain in Sindhupalchowk. Krishna Kamal Khatri, the owner of the land in which the resort is built, was also sought by the police who assisted in the initiation of Pant's actions when he refused to pay the lease amount. On September 4, 2008, the Kathmandu District Court sentenced Panta to two years in jail, along with a fine of Rs 9.1 million on a forgery case. He filed an appeal against the verdict at the Patan Appellate Court.