J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

2 ex-cricketers held on kidnapping charge
Jalandhar, October 21
Two former Ranji players are among four persons arrested by the police today for allegedly kidnapping an insurance firm employee. The victim, detained at a house in Bhago Majra village in Mohali, has also been rescued. 

The accused have been identified as Raj Singh Choudhary of Dehradun, Rocky Rattu of Shahbad village (near Ambala), Gurlal Singh of Mohali and Mahinder Singh alias Kella of Hardev Nagar here. Three of their accomplices, Pankaj and Sourab of Delhi and Varun of Dehradun, are still at large. Raj and Rocky are former Ranji players. 

Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) Balkar Singh said the victim, Ajay Suman, who was kidnapped from his house in Gurdev Nagar on October 18, had also claimed that he was a former Ranji cricketer.

Preliminary investigations suggested that the accused cricketers had paid Rs 5 lakh to the victim after he promised them an entry into the Indian Premier League, he said. When Ajay failed to keep his promise and even refused to return the money, the accused kidnapped him from his house, the police official claimed.—OC