On December 3, comedian Sunil Pal was reported missing by his wife Sarita, when he did not return home hours after he was supposed to. Unable to contact him, Sarita filed a missing persons report to the Santacruz police station in Mumbai, and several hours later, the comedian returned home, alive and well.
Now, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Pal has revealed that he was infact kidnapped and held for ransom, while he was heading for an event in Haridwar. “It was a full-fledged kidnapping, and it started when I got an invite for an event on December 2 in Haridwar”.
Sunil said he fell into the trap when he got an invite to perform a comedy show at a birthday party. “They paid 50 per cent in advance. They sent a car for pick up at the airport. I was shifted to another vehicle after one hour. That was the point when my nightmare started. I was told that they had kidnapped me, blindfolded me and taken me to a place. They said they had weapons, stressing that my life was in danger. There were 7-8 people, some drunk, shouting at me,” the Phir Hera Pheri actor recalled.
They asked for the comedian for a ransom of Rs 20 lakh in exchange for his freedom. “I told them that I didn’t have that amount of money, following which they agreed to Rs 10 lakh. I called up many friends in Mumbai to collect the money and gave them Rs 7.5-8 lakh for my freedom.”
The comedian revealed that, on receiving the ransom, they left him on the Delhi-Meerut road, after which he found his way back home.
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Pal reiterated the entire incident to the Mumbai police but is unsure whether to file a case, as he fears for his family's safety. “Police have asked me to file a case. But I am under so much trauma. I don’t know whether I will file the case or not. They didn’t even give threats to me, but said they would cause harm to my family if I took any action against them.”
"I need time to think about it. I am still recovering from what happened to me. I am scared and battered. It was the worst 24 hours of my life. I need time and space to come out of it,” Pal added.