Bikramgarh realtor Anup Ray’s abduction was masterminded by a couple who ran an agency that supplies attendants to clinics, police said. Sanjay and Rita Halder hatched the plan after one of their employees at Maa Shivani Ayaa Centre in Baruipur, Archana Dhar, told them that Ray had breached a contract to deliver her an apartment and Rs 1 lakh. The Halders, Archana, Rita’s brother Tridip Biswas and another suspect have been arrested. The police said Archana did not know that the realtor had been released against a ransom of Rs 7 lakh. “The couple had pocketed the entire amount and bought bank saving certificates with it. Around Rs 11,000 and bank certificates worth Rs 6.3 lakh have been recovered from them,” said an officer. The police said Ray had built a four-storey building in 2001 on a Poddarnagar plot that belonged to Archana. As part of the deal, he was to give the woman a flat in the building and Rs 1 lakh. But Ray allegedly went back on his word after the building came up. Archana filed a complaint against Ray in 2004 and also moved court but the case dragged on. “When Archana narrated her plight to Rita, she and her husband proposed that they abduct Ray and force him to pay the money he owed to Archana and also hand over the flat to her. Their only condition was that Archana, after getting the flat, would transfer half its ownership to them. The woman, who earns her living working as an ayah, agreed to the proposal,” said a police officer. “But the couple broke their promise and Archana got neither the flat nor the money.” Recalling the events leading to the November 23 abduction, police said Sanjoy and brother-in-law Tridip had hired a car from a garage in Baruipur posing as cops. The car’s helper, Basudeb Baidya, now behind bars, was roped in. After abducting the promoter from near his house, the gang sped off to Langalberia, near Baruipur. There, Ray was put up in an empty house where he met Archana. The news of the abduction had by then been aired on TV, prompting the kidnappers to flee with Ray on motorbikes. Sanjoy, Tridip and Basudeb roamed the whole day on bikes with Anup and returned to Baruipur late on November 23. “All the while, Sanjoy was negotiating the ransom with Ray’s family and the amount was settled at Rs 7 lakh. The promoter was released after the money changed hands the next day,” said an officer. “All five have been remanded in seven days’ police custody. The driver of the car has been detained,” said South 24-Parganas police chief L.N. Meena.
-- Shared by Ratul Das | 
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