Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 25 (IANS): Two persons, including a police constable, have been arrested for allegedly abducting an elderly businessman for ransom and threatening to kill him if the money was not paid.

The constable was identified as Mukesh Kumar, 37, posted at Pheel Khana police station.

His aide, 40-year-old Shalu Nanda, a tea vendor from Kidwai Nagar area, was also arrested.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Pramod Kumar said that Shalu was nominated as a Special Police Officer (SPO) about two years ago. Two others involved in the incident, head constable Amit Kumar, posted at the Kotwali police station and his associate Monu alias Boxer were at large.

According to the police official, it took place when the victim, Raghuveer Chandra Kapoor, was at his grocery shop in Govind Nagar.

Two men in khaki arrived in a silver car, the DCP said. They claimed that they were from the Special Task Force and forced Kapoor into the car and drove away.

Soon afterwards, Kapoor's nephew Pankaj Kapoor received a ransom call from Monu whom he knew. He asked Pankaj for Rs 35,000 for the release of his uncle.

Pankaj immediately informed the police and told them about the ransom call. "We traced the call and established the identities of the two constables who were in the car. One of them, Mukesh, was booked in a similar case two years ago. He was held but Amit Kumar is on the run," the DCP said. Shalu was held after Mukesh told of his involvement.

The services of the two constables would be terminated, the DCP said, adding a drive had been launched to identify the policemen with a chequered past. They would be transferred to far-away places, he said.