September 14, 2025

Hold your breath! A terrifying kidnapping shook Ghaziabad when 24-year-old Mayank Mishra, a digital marketing employee, was taken hostage near IPEM College late Wednesday night. As Mishra dropped off a friend around 11.30pm, a gun-wielding man jumped out of nowhere and held him at gunpoint. Two men on a scooter quickly joined in and overpowered him. The kidnappers snatched Mishra’s car and drove him around the busy Delhi-Meerut Expressway for nearly three long hours. What happened next was straight out of a thriller. The kidnappers beat Mishra and even stabbed his leg! Making things worse, they forced him to unlock his phone. Mishra revealed to TOI, "During the video call with my brother, they threatened him that if he disconnected the call, they would kill me." The kidnappers made his family show their treasures on video – a locker inside the almirah was opened to reveal two gold chains, two gold coins, two silver coins, cash of Rs 90,000, and other valuables. Next, they ordered Mishra’s brother to come to NH-9 near IPEM College with all these items. By 1.30 am, one kidnapper grabbed the loot estimated at a whopping Rs 10 lakh. They warned that if the police were called, Mishra’s life was in grave danger. The kidnappers tried to squeeze more money by checking Mishra’s bank account. They found Rs 10,000 and attempted to convert it into cash by offering transfers to strangers and petrol staff, but luck was not on their side. Finally, around 2.15 am, the kidnappers released Mishra near Mohan Nagar but damaged his phone and threw away his car keys. Brave Mishra rushed to Vijay Nagar police station to complain but said, "police took more than 24 hours to lodge an FIR." ACP Kotwali, Ritesh Tripathi, announced that an FIR was filed Friday against three unknown men under various criminal sections. Police teams are now tirelessly examining CCTV footage to catch these daring criminals. This dramatic case reminds us – danger can strike anytime, but brave steps by Mishra and persistent police work can help bring culprits to justice!

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Tags: Ghaziabad kidnapping, Ransom demand, Hostage video call, Digital marketing employee, Police investigation, Cctv footage,