5 Indians charged for kidnapping countryman

Five Indian nationals were charged yesterday with kidnapping and serious illegal detention before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) for kidnapping another Indian national and demanding P20 million as ransom in 2005.

Assistant Prosecutor Anne Geraldine Agar filed the charges before the court and recommended that no bail be granted Gurdashan Singh, alias Tony; Darshan Singh Sandhu; Sukhdev Singh Bhangu, alias Nirmal Singh Gill; Gurmeet Singh; and Boota Singh, alias Jhun Bombay. They are currently detained at the Bataan provincial jail.

The charges against the suspects stemmed from a complaint filed by businessman Makhan Singh, who was allegedly kidnapped and detained for about three days by the suspects.

In a sworn statement, Makhan said on Dec. 22, 2005, he was about to board his motorcycle after collecting loan payments in Punta, Sta. Ana when he was abducted and brought to an undisclosed place.

The next day, Makhan said his abductors demanded P20 million from his family, but eventually settled for P8 million. He was released on Dec. 25, 2005 after his family paid the ransom.

Makhan said his abductors continued to threaten him that should he report the incident to the police, they would kill him and his family.

On Nov. 29, 2007, Makhan’s friends informed him to proceed to the Bataan Police Provincial Office to check whether the Indian nationals detained there were the same people who abducted him.

Makhan, according to Agar’s resolution, “was familiar with the faces of the respondents as he was loosely blindfolded at the time that he was detained. He was also able to positively identify respondents as among those who abducted him and demanded the aforesaid ransom for his release. Complainant’s allegations should, thus, be accorded full faith and credence especially in the absence of any denial from respondents.”