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India: Information on a cotton yarn manufacturing company called Toor Spinners Ltd., including reports of the kidnapping of the executive director of the company in 1996 and 1998; reports of kidnapping and extortion of members of wealthy families in Punjab by militants (1996-2003)

Information on a cotton yarn manufacturing company called Toor Spinners Ltd. and reports of the kidnapping of its executive director in 1996 and 1998 could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, it may be useful to note that Toor Spinners Ltd. is listed in the company list posted on www.capitalmarket.com (n.d.a), "one of the most active financial website[s] in India" (n.d.b). It is owned and operated by Capital Market Publishers Pvt. India Ltd., "a 15-year-old financial information services company" (ibid.).

There have been numerous news reports of kidnappings throughout India during the period covered by this response: in 1996, four Western tourists in Kashmir were kidnapped by "a Muslim separatist group" (AFP 12 Apr. 1996); in 1999, the son of a petrol pump owner in Kotkapura was kidnapped by "militants" of the Khalistan Liberation Force (The Hindu 22 Aug. 1999); also in 1999, 16 government officials were kidnapped by "tribal militants" in Tripura (BBC 6 Sept. 1999); in 2000, a German tourist in the Ladakh region of Kashmir was kidnapped by "Muslim militants" (AFP 26 July 2000); also in 2000, six Hindus in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir were kidnapped and then murdered by "separatist militants" (BBC 24 Nov. 2000); in 2001, eight tea estate officials in Tripura and Assam were kidnapped by "separatist rebels" (ibid. 7 Aug. 2001); also in 2001, eight woodcutters in the Dhalia district of Tripura state were kidnapped and then murdered by "militants" of the "banned" National Liberation Front of Tripura (AFP 28 Jan. 2001); also in 2001, the father-in-law of the nephew of India's junior home minister was kidnapped by "suspected activists of an outlawed secessionist group" in southern India (ibid. 27 Oct. 2001); in 2002, the American Wall Street Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl, was kidnapped by a suspected "Muslim militant" (BBC 6 Feb. 2002); also in 2002, eight villagers, all "supporters of Tripura's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), were kidnapped by "Bangladeshi intruders" (AFP 3 Oct. 2002); again in 2002, the former state government minister, who "belonged to the centrist Janata Dal (People's Party) which ruled Karnataka state for five years until 1999," was kidnapped by a "bandit" and then was murdered (ibid. 8 Dec. 2002); and in 2002 as well, five government education officials in Manipur were kidnapped by "a separatist group," the "outlawed Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup" (ibid. 29 Dec. 2002).

In 1996, the Associated Press reported that "[i]n India, children from wealthy families are sometimes kidnapped for ransom. Kids from poor families also have been abducted and sold to factories as child laborers" (8 May 1996).

According to the Kemper Insurance Companies' threat assessment on travel to India, "kidnap for ransom is not common in India" (5 Feb. 2003). Their assessment also states that "[k]idnappings outside of the conflicted areas of the country are typically rare, although on 25 July 2001, a wealthy Indian industrialist in Calcutta was abducted as he drove on the Eastern Metropolitan bypass" (Kemper Insurance Companies 5 Feb. 2003).

According to a 1997 news report, in Punjab province "kidnapping, robbery and burglaries are carried out by gangs of professional criminals" (India-West 12 Dec. 1997).

In 2001, a Punjabi film actor was kidnapped for not returning money that had been advanced to him as payment for a favour he failed to fulfil for one of his kidnappers (The Times of India 2 May 2001).

In late 2001, The Times of India published a news report on the kidnappings of girls in Punjab, the full text of which has been attached to this Response (9 Dec. 2001). According to this report, kidnappings of girls in Punjab had been on the rise, and while sometimes this has resulted in murder, "most often, victims have been raped in captivity" (The Times of India 9 Dec. 2001). The report went on to state that "[s]tatistics show that the majority of the girls targeted were from humble backgrounds as opposed to their male counterparts who were almost always from affluent families" (ibid.).

In November 2002, the Pakistan Newswire reported that between January and September 2002, 909 kidnapping cases involving women and children were reported in Punjab (12 Nov. 2002).

In mid-2002, Gulf News published a news report on the incidence of kidnappings for ransom in Punjab province, the full text of which is, once again, attached to this response (19 May 2002). According to this report, kidnapping for ransom had previously been "almost unknown in Punjab" (Gulf News 19 May 2002). However, between May 2001 and May 2002 over 60 kidnappings for ransom have taken place in Punjab, which, according to the news report, is "by far the highest ever figure in the history of Punjab" (ibid.). The news report also quotes one businessman as stating, "'The situation suggests how unsafe citizens are in the country. Even students from rich families are being kidnapped'" (ibid.).

For general information on kidnappings by separatist militants in India, please refer to Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 29 December 2002. "Indian KYKL Rebel Group Threatens to Execute Education Officials for Corruption." (FBIS-NES-2002-1229 29 Dec. 2002/NEXIS)

_____. 8 December 2002. "AFP: Further on body of Ex-Minister Abducted by Indian Bandit Found in Jungle." (FBIS-NES-2002-1208 8 Dec. 2002/NEXIS)

_____. 3 October 2002. "Bangladesh Intruders Storm Indian Village, Kill, Kidnap Villagers." (FBIS-NES-2002-1003 3 Oct. 2002/NEXIS)

_____. 27 October 2001. "Indian Junior Home Minister's Relative Kidnapped by Suspected Activists." (FBIS-NES-2001-1027 27 Oct. 2001/NEXIS)

_____. 28 January 2001. "11 Killed in India's Troubled North East." (FBIS-EAS-2001-0128 28 Jan. 2001/NEXIS)

_____. 26 July 2000. "Indian Police Believe Abducted German Tourist Killed in Kashmir." (FBIS-WELL-2000-0726 26 July 2000/NEXIS)

_____. 12 April 1996. "India: Al-Faran Claims Kashmir Hostages Now With Authorities." (FBIS-TOT-96-014-L 12 Apr. 1996/NEXIS)

Associated Press Worldstream (AP). 8 May 1996. "Rumors that children were being kidnapped ..." (NEXIS)

BBC. 6 February 2002. "Suspect Named in Reporter's Kidnap." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1804709.stm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

_____. 7 August 2001. Subir Bhaumik. "Rebels Seize Indian Tea Officials." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1477270.stm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

_____. 24 November 2000. "Six Killed in Kashmir Attack." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1038582.stm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

_____. 6 September 1999. "Sixteen Officials Kidnapped in India." <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/439953.stm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

CapitalMarket.com. n.d.a. "Scoreboard: Company List." <http://www.capitalmarket.com/scoreboard/CompList.asp?Alpha=T> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

_____. n.d.b. "Capital Market Publishers Pvt. India Ltd." <http://www.capitalmarket.com/cmabout.htm> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

India-West. 12 December 1997. Vol. 23, No. 6. Michel W. Potts. "Fielding's Lists India, Pak 'Most Dangerous Places.'" (Ethnic NewsWatch./NEXIS)

Gulf News. 19 May 2002. "Big Rise in Kidnapping Cases." (Global Newswire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire/NEXIS)

The Hindu. 22 August 1999. "India: KLF Kidnap Plan Unearthed." (Asia Intelligence Wire/NEXIS)

Kemper Insurance Companies. 5 February 2003. "International Travel: Threat Assessments." <http://www.fis.kemperinsurance.com/threatDisplay.asp?THID=3> [Accessed 7 Feb. 2003]

The Pakistan Newswire. 12 November 2002. "1769 Women, Children Kidnapped in Last 9 Months." (NEXIS)

The Times of India. 9 December 2001. Manmeet Mann. "Abduction of Girls on the Rise." (Global Newswire/NEXIS)

_____. 2 May 2001. "Two of Actor's Kidnappers Arrested." (Global News Wire/NEXIS)

Attachments

Gulf News. 19 May 2002. "Big Rise in Kidnapping Cases." (Global News Wire - Asia-Africa Intelligence Wire/NEXIS)

The Times of India. 9 December 2001. Manmeet Mann. "Abudction of Girls on the Rise." (Global News Wire/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

World News Connection

Internet sites, including:

Corporate Information (CI) (Wright Investor's Service - Indian company profiles)

D&B Business Reports

FinanceAsia.com

Harris Information Source Reports

Hoover's Online (The Business Information Authority)

ICICIdirect.com

LexisNexis Directory of Corporate Affiliations

News India Times [New York]

Pan India News

Patiala Online

Samachar

Sulekha.com

United Kingdom, Immigration and Nationality Directorate. India Assessment (October 2002) Ethnic News Watch.

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