An Indian national suspected of participating in the kidnapping of his compatriots has been arrested by the police in Negros Occidental.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) yesterday announced the arrest of suspect Mandeep Singh, an alleged member of the kidnap for ransom gang Goldy Group. Mandeep was arrested by the police on Sunday in the town of Candoni, Negros Occidental.
Mandeep was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 24 of Biñan City in Laguna for kidnap for ransom and illegal detention, AKG’s Corporal Eva Claire Santiago told Coconuts Manila during a phone interview. The charges are not bailable.
The warrant was issued in connection with Goldy Group’s alleged abduction of Indian national Anial Kumar Sohal in August 2017.
Goldy Group became inactive when three of the group’s members were killed during a gun battle with the police that broke that same month. Santiago said the conflict occurred near the group’s alleged safe house in the village of San Francisco in Biñan City where Sohal was being kept. Those who died included the gang’s leader Inderjit Singh (alias Goldy).
Police said Mandeep fled the safe house and went into hiding after Inderjit’s death. Aside from Sohal’s abduction, the authorities believe that Mandeep, as a member of the Goldy Group, was involved in the kidnappings of six other Indian entrepreneurs from 2008 to 2017. The kidnappings occurred in places such as Valenzuela City, General Trias, Cavite, and Tanay, Rizal, reported Manila Bulletin.
Santiago said they are expecting at least four other warrants of arrest to be issued against Mandeep in connection with these kidnappings.
During his presentation to the media yesterday, however, Mandeep tearfully denied the accusations and said he is not a member of the kidnap for ransom gang.
“It’s nothing, it’s just a warrant, the judge has not made a decision,” The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted him saying in Filipino and English. “I did not kidnap anyone. It doesn’t say there that I’m a kidnapper, it’s just a warrant.”
“If I were part of that group, I would have died because they (gang members) died [during the gun battle],” he added.
The police are still looking for other suspects whom they believe were also members of the Goldy Group. Mandeep is currently detained at the PNP-AKG in Camp Crame in Quezon City and will be transferred to the Biñan City court for disposition soon.
Read more from Coconuts Manila here.
