Two employees of a Gandhinagar-based businessman were allegedly robbed of ₹42 lakh at gunpoint and subsequently abducted by a gang in Kolkata, after being lured into a fraudulent business transaction, police said on Tuesday, 19 May. The victims were later abandoned on the Kona Expressway in Howrah district before managing to return to Gujarat.

How the Fake Deal Was Engineered

According to police, the Gandhinagar businessman was reportedly contacted by individuals from Kolkata who posed as traders willing to dispatch goods to Gujarat. The suspects allegedly assured him that the consignment would be released immediately upon payment of ₹42 lakh. Trusting the arrangement, the businessman dispatched two of his employees to Kolkata with the cash.

The employees were directed to a house in the New Santoshpur area of south Kolkata. Once there, they were allegedly confined in a room by around six armed men, who held them at gunpoint and forcibly seized the bag containing the cash. The victims reportedly banged on the door in a bid to escape but were unable to do so.

Abduction and Abandonment on Kona Expressway

The accused allegedly took the two men out of the house at gunpoint, claiming they would be dropped at Howrah station. Instead, the victims were forced into a vehicle and abandoned on the Kona Expressway in Howrah district. The gang then fled the scene.

The two employees managed to make their way to Howrah railway station and returned to Gujarat, where they informed the businessman of the ordeal. The alleged incident took place in the first week of May 2025.

Complaint Filed, Investigation Underway

On Monday, the businessman travelled to Kolkata and lodged a formal complaint at the Survey Park police station in south Kolkata. Police have registered a case of robbery and kidnapping. Investigators are currently examining CCTV footage from both Kolkata and Howrah to identify the accused and trace the vehicle used in the abduction.

Police are also attempting to locate the house in the Survey Park area where the victims were allegedly held, and are working to identify the suspects through the phone numbers used to contact the businessman. No arrests have been reported so far.

Broader Pattern of Business-Lure Scams

This case fits a documented pattern of fraud targeting out-of-state traders, where criminals pose as suppliers or buyers to extract large cash payments before resorting to violence. Such incidents have drawn attention to the vulnerability of inter-state business networks to organised criminal groups operating with local knowledge. The use of a residential address, multiple armed accomplices, and pre-planned escape routes suggests a coordinated operation rather than an opportunistic crime.

Investigators are expected to seek call detail records and coordinate with Gujarat police as the probe expands.