Three members of a family were rescued on Friday from a farmhouse in Dayanatpur village, Gautam Budh Nagar police said, exposing a criminal conspiracy allegedly aimed at derailing the land acquisition and rehabilitation process for the upcoming Jewar International Airport.
Among those arrested is a private airline pilot, identified as the alleged mastermind behind the abduction.
The sequence of events began on May 29, when the district administration forcibly relocated Hansraj , a resident of Rohi village, along with his wife Kamlesh Devi and sons Saurabh and Sonu, to their allotted rehabilitation plot. The family had been living within the airport boundary wall for nearly three years, refusing to vacate. Police have not shared specific age of victims and accused, nor the professions of victims.
Later that day, Hansraj and Kamlesh were admitted to Kailash Hospital in Jewar by their son Saurabh. Police say the hospitalisation was unwarranted and part of a broader plan to isolate the couple.
While the parents remained hospitalised until June 4, their younger son Sonu filed a habeas corpus petition in the Allahabad High Court on June 2, alleging illegal detention of his parents and brother by the administration. Police believe this legal move was orchestrated by conspirators working behind the scenes.
The breakthrough in the ase finally came on June 26, when a family acquaintance, Kameshfrom Thora village, filed a written complaint, providing a key lead. Acting on surveillance and local intelligence, police raided a farmhouse in Dayanatpur on June 27, rescuing Hansraj, Kamlesh, and Saurabh.
Investigations revealed a complex, premeditated plot. On June 6, the family was lured from their RR site home under the pretext of further medical treatment. Hansraj’s nephew drove them to a spot near Naharkothi in Dayanatpur, where they were received by the alleged mastermind, Captain Puttan Singh of Sector 135, Noida, and co-accused Pramod Singh.
The family was first taken to Singh’s residence in Noida, then moved to co-accused Ramadevi’s house in outer Delhi’s Maidan Garhi, where they were held in isolation until June 14.
Fearing discovery, the accused relocated them again on June 15. Hansraj was hidden in the trunk of a BMW (UP16CN3205), while Kamlesh and Saurabh were seated between accomplices. The vehicle met Pawan Chaudhary at the Dayanatpur underpass on the Yamuna Expressway, and the trio was taken to Chaudhary’s private fenced property, where they were confined until Friday’s rescue.
According to police, their cellphones were confiscated and all communication was cut off. Meanwhile, the accused consulted lawyers and allegedly plotted to use the habeas petition to politically and legally pressure authorities, said police.
Police said the conspiracy was designed to stall the Jewar airport project, malign officials, and reassert local influence for unlawful gains.
“This was a premeditated and coordinated plot,” said DCP Greater Noida, Saad Miyan Khan. “They used deception, multiple vehicles, and safe houses across Noida and Delhi. Our teams tracked them using local intelligence, CCTV footage, and forensic methods.”
Those arrested include Captain Puttan Singh, Pramod Singh, Pawan Chaudhary, Ramadevi, and Sarojbala (Singh’s wife). The five arrested individuals in the Jewar airport abduction case are of the age group of late 30s to early 60s. The BMW used in the crime has been recovered.
A case has been registered under BNS Section 140(3) (kidnapping for wrongful confinement) at Jewar police station. Further arrests are likely.
DCP Khan added that the role of Sonu, the younger son who filed the habeas petition, is under investigation to determine if he was complicit.
“The accused were trying to manipulate legal avenues while illegally confining the victims. This case shows the extent to which some are willing to go to disrupt public infrastructure projects for personal gain,” Khan said.