Ajay Kaushal, 50, fled the UK when he was due to go on trial four years ago for kidnapping a Burnley businessman and securing a £100,000 ransom

Ajay Kaushal, 50, fled the UK when he was due to go on trial four years ago for kidnapping a Burnley businessman and securing a £100,000 ransom.Kaushal was convicted in his absence at Preston Crown Court in January 2005 and received a 15-year sentence.Indian authorities said he was arrested by chance in Panaji, Goa, after his British friend, William Scott, 39, was found dead in a hotel room in the nearby village of Colva.Police who investigated the death then uncovered Kaushal's identity and previous conviction.
Deputy police superintendent Umesh Gaonkar said that Kaushal was arrested after Lancashire Police had confirmed his identity.He said: "We found Kaushal's identification documents on him, which helped us confirm his identity and corroborate it with Lancashire police."He said that Kaushal would be handed over to British police.A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the arrest and are liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service with a view to bringing him back to the UK, where he will be sent to jail."
Kaushal is wanted by Lancashire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit and details of his crime are listed on the force website.Kaushal was convicted after taking part in the kidnapping of a businessman. In June 2003 the man was kidnapped from his home in Burnley and taken to a secret location in Manchester where he was beaten and tortured.He was released when a ransom demand of £100,000, consisting of cash and jewellery, was paid.Kaushal was charged with conspiracy to kidnap along with five other men from Manchester but failed to appear at his trial.other men were also convicted of the same offence and were jailed.Detective Inspector Simon Brooksbank of Lancashire Police has previously described Kaushal as showing an "absolute disrespect for the law by refusing to be brought to justice and continuing to live his life as a free man".