 "UP police arrest mastermind behind Mushtaq Khan and Sunil Pal abductions")
The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested the mastermind behind the gang that abducted actor Mushtaq Khan and comedian Sunil Pal under the pretext of inviting them to an event. The arrest followed a dramatic encounter on the night of December 22-23, during which the suspect, Lavi Pal (alias Rahul Saini), was injured.
Bijnor Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Jha on Monday confirmed the arrest of Lavi Pal, who is believed to have played a central role in the criminal operation. Pal was apprehended after an exchange of gunfire with the police, during which a bullet hit the bulletproof vest of station house officer (SHO) Uday Pratap. Despite his injury, Pal was taken into custody and admitted to a district hospital for treatment.
Mushtaq Khan and Sunil Pal
Mushtaq Khan, 54, is an Indian actor and comedian whose career has spanned three decades. He gained prominence for his comic roles in films such as Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), Jodi No 1 (2001), and Welcome (2007), among others.
Sunil Pal, 49, is a well-known Indian comedian, actor, and voice artist. His career took off with the 2007 film Bombay to Goa, and went on to appear in movies such as Hum Tum (2004) and Phir Hera Pheri (2006).
Abductions of actor and comedian by gang
The incident traces back to October 15, when the gang, led by Lavi Pal, invited actor Mushtaq Khan to an event in Meerut, offering him Rs 25,000 as advance payment and a flight ticket. Khan was then abducted after arriving in Delhi on November 20 and transported to a house in Bijnor. Despite being confined, Khan managed to escape a day later, seeking refuge at a nearby mosque before returning home.
In addition to Mushtaq Khan, the gang had also targeted comedian Sunil Pal using a similar approach.
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Khan’s event manager, Shivam Yadav, filed a report with Bijnor Kotwali on December 9, prompting further investigations that uncovered the gang’s modus operandi targeting individuals from the entertainment industry.
Rs 25,000 bounty on Lavi Pal
Six members of the gang were arrested, but Lavi Pal and three other suspects were on the run. This prompted authorities to place a Rs 25,000 bounty on Pal’s arrest.
The police operation followed a tip-off about Pal’s whereabouts, which led them to Jain Farm on Mandawar Road. Along with Pal, authorities were also searching for his cousin, Shubham, who managed to escape during the encounter.
Cash pistols recovered
The police discovered that transactions worth Rs 2.5 lakh were made using Khan’s mobile phone during the period of his captivity. Authorities later also recovered a country-made pistol, two cartridges, and Rs 35,050 in cash that was extorted during Khan’s abduction.
Additional SP Sanjeev Bajpai indicated that further legal action would be taken under the Gangster Act, and property acquired through criminal activities would also be seized. The police are continuing to interrogate Lavi Pal to gather further information about his criminal operations and identify any other potential targets in the film industry.
[With agency inputs]