Sunil Pal claims he was kidnapped after being invited to a birthday party: 'Gave Rs 8 lakh for my freedom'

Sunil Pal Pic/ANI

Bollywood actor and comedian Sunil Pal, who went 'missing' on Monday, has claimed he was 'abducted' in Delhi but has now returned home safely in Mumbai. On Tuesday, his wife Sarita lodged a missing complaint with Mumbai Police, but hours later she announced that he was safe and reached home.

Sunil Pal paid Rs 8 lakh for his freedom

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Sunil Pal said he was invited to a private birthday party in Haridwar to perform a comedy show, for which he was paid 50 percent in advance. He elaborated, "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 comedian added that the kidnappers asked him to pay a ransom of Rs 20 lakh. "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," he added.
Sunil further revealed that the kidnappers left him on the Delhi-Meerut road with Rs 20,000 for him to return home.

Interestingly, Sunil Pal's ordeal is similar to ‘Saath Nibhaana Saathiya' actor Rajesh Puri who escaped getting kidnapped in September. He was also invited to an event but after noticing that something was off, he made the kidnappers believe that he had strong connections in Delhi which made them uncomfortable and they let him go.

Who is Sunil Pal

Born in Wardha district's Hinganghat town (Maharashtra), Sunil Pal, 49, attained national fame after he participated in and won the Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2005, and later hosted shows like the Great Indian Comedy Show, participated in Comedy Champions, Comedy Circus Ke Superstars, etc.
A Guinness World Record holder, he also portrayed comic roles in films like ‘Bombay To Goa', ‘Bhavnao Ko Samjho', "Money Back Guarantee", ‘Kick', ‘Crazy 4', ‘Phir Hera Pheri', ‘Apna Sapna Money Money', and many more.