'Eyewitness' in Lucknow inter-faith couple's passport row claims he was kidnapped, police suspects business rivalry

A new twist was added into the Lucknow inter-faith couple's passport row when a man, claiming to be an eyewitness to the controversy at the Passport Seva Kendra, said that he was abducted at gunpoint from Lucknow on Saturday.

Kuldeep Singh said he was abducted by three Scorpio-borne unidentified men at gunpoint. He, however, managed to escape from their custody in Lakhimpur Kheri near the Indo-Nepal border.

Earlier this week, a woman in Lucknow claimed that she and her husband were humiliated by a Passport Seva Kendra official, Vikas Mishra, who questioned their inter-faith marriage. Tanvi Seth claimed that the official pulled her up for marrying a Muslim and asked her husband, Anas Siddiqui, to convert to Hinduism when they went to the office with their passport applications. The couple's passports were issued later after the woman complained to External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Twitter. 

Also Read: Sushma Swaraj trolled over Lucknow inter-faith couple's passport row, responds in style

Kudeep Singh had claimed on Thursday that he was present on June 20 when Anas-Tanvi passport row took place. He came out in support of Vikas Mishra claiming that the officer did not misbehave with the couple as charged by Tanvi Seth and her husband in their tweets and complaint.

Abhishek Pratap, the Circle Officer of Gola Police Station, said that Kuldeep reported to Sansarpur Police outpost on Saturday at around 8 pm. He told the police that he was kidnapped at gunpoint at around 2 pm from Jankipuram by three unidentified men.

Kuldeep told the police that he was drugged and when gained consciousness he found that two of his kidnappers were having dinner at a dhaba at around 7 pm and one was guarding the Scorpio. “I somehow managed to escape when the one guarding the vehicle went away to urinate. I took a bus and got down when I saw a police outpost,” he told the police.

Kuldeep’s complaint was registered and the Gola Police informed their counterparts in Lucknow about the kidnapping. “He was allowed to stay at the police station and was handed over to the Lucknow Police on Sunday morning,” said the police officer.

SSP Lucknow Deepak Kumar, however, denied that his abduction has anything to do with the passport office row. “It has come to our light that he was involved in supplying road construction material. A personal dispute over contract or payment may be the reason for his alleged kidnapping,” the SSP said.

The man has also changed his statements several times. 

Lucknow Police said that inconsistency in his statements indicate that he may have concocted his own kidnapping over some business-related dispute. “Investigations are underway to ascertain reasons and identify those behind his abduction,” said the SSP.

A day after Tanvi passport office row, Kuldeep had denied the couple’s charge that Vikas Mishra misbehaved and yelled at them. He had claimed that he was there to get his own passport and Mishra had only asked a few questions and guided Tanvi and her husband to the APO office for a decision on their applications.

Kuldeep claimed he was shocked when he learnt about Tanvi’s allegations on TV channels and social media. “Nothing like that had happened before me. I was about to hold a press conference on Sunday when I was kidnapped a day before,” he said.          

Meanwhile, the LIU (Local Intelligence Unit) and the Qaiserbagh Police are verifying Lucknow address of Tanvi and her husband. A report is likely to be submitted in a day or two. “We have all rights to cancel their passports if the address given is wrong or any discrepancy is detected in any information given in the application form,” said a senior passport official.