A lab technician Sanjeet Yadav hailing from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh who was kidnapped on June 22, has been murdered by his abductors, police informed.
The Uttar Pradesh Police said that the kidnappers killed the young technician last month, and dumped his body in the Pandu River.
Five people including two friends of the deceased have been arrested in the case.
On June 22, Yadav was kidnapped from the Barra area while he was returning to his home. The following day, his family members registered a complaint at the Janata Nagar police station in the case.
However, on June 29, the family members of the deceased claimed that they received a call from the kidnappers who demanded a Rs 30 lakh ransom, adding that the ransom money was paid to the abductors in the presence of the police on July 13. The family members threw the bag containing the money onto the railway track.
On July 15, the deceased's sister told reporters that there was no money in the bag. "We were upset as my brother could not be traced. I hope police will trace him soon," his sister said.
But his sister again changed her statement afterward, saying that the family had actually paid the ransom money to captors for Sanjeet's release.
She stated that she was being pressurised to say that there was no money in the bag.
The deceased's sister also named a crime brach official who visited her home and convinced her to say that no ransom was paid.
"The claim of payment of Rs 30 lakh is not true. When they were asked about the source of money, they could not give satisfactory answers. As the family is disturbed, we have adopted a sympathetic attitude towards them. Police teams are working to trace the missing man." Superintendent of Police, South, Aprana Gupta claimed, refuting the allegation made by Sanjeet's sister.
On July 16, SHO Ranjit Rai was suspended by the Uttar Pradesh Police on charges of negligence in connection with the kidnapping of Kanpur lab technician.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government over the handling of law & order in the state.
Gandhi said that the law and order in the state has been 'surrendered to the goons'.
"A new Gundaraja has arrived. Law and order in this jungle raj have surrendered to the goons," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.
"The law and order situation in UP has collapsed. It is now being taken care of after common people are being killed. Be it home, road, office, no one feels safe. After Vikram Joshi, now abducted Sanjit Yadav in Kanpur," Gandhi added.