Mangaluru: Thirty-three-year-old mechanic Richard Marian Lazarus could not eat or sleep for four days since July 30 when he was held captive by a gang at a place bordering Rajasthan and Uttara Pradesh. He used codes in Tulu to pass on the information of his kidnap to his employer in Mangaluru that led to his rescue by the city police in association with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh police on August 3.

Mr. Lazaraus on Saturday narrated to reporters the harrowing time he spent with kidnappers on his return from Bharathpur in Rajasthan. Mr. Lazaraus, who worked for a generator firm in Bejai, was sent to Bharathpur by the firm owner Arun D’Souza to finalise purchase of four old generators. Mr. Lazaraus was kidnapped from a lodge. He was rescued from a house in Bastan.

Mr. Lazaraus said he had been held captive by Mudassir gang that operates from Hatiya village in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Lazaraus said he was slapped and tortured and made to stand in a muddy area in a house in Hatiya. The gang members aimed gun on his head and forced him to call his contacts and arrange ransom.

The police arrested Mubarak and his aides, who are part of the gang involved in kidnapping people and recovered some guns and cannabis packets. Mehmood, who was allegedly part of the gang that had held him captive, had also been held, Mr. Lazaraus said.