Revealed: Face of kidnapper who abducted accountant and ‘psychologically tortured’ him for ransom

Maninder Singh, 37, conspired with his two brothers-in-law and a fourth man to kidnap the man from a car park in Wolverhampton city center on October 10, 2022.

Singh, his brothers-in-law Baljit Baghral and David Baghral, ​​and accomplice Shanu Shanu forced the accountant into a van where they blindfolded him with tape and tied his hands. Over the next seven hours, they repeatedly threatened to kill him with the gun they were holding.

He was told he would be killed, cut up and his body wrapped in plastic and dumped in the woods, while they initially asked for £500,000 from his staff in return for his safe return. Ultimately the group settled for £19,000 in cash.

Judge John Butterfield KC last week sentenced Singh to 13 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to blackmail: “In the victim’s own words, he said he was left ‘traumatised’ by the ‘harrowing events’ he encountered . To pay the ransom, he had to use “money from his clients’ fund.”

“He was tied up and blindfolded. I think it amounted to psychological torture.”

The judge said the Home Office would decide his immigration status because he was a foreigner.