A Delhi court on Thursday turned down a plea by an old man to free a youth who had abducted him six years ago. The court observed that the offence was grave and the youth had committed a crime against the state.

The court sentenced Ajay Kumar to two years' rigorous imprisonment for abducting Shiv Naresh Pandey on April 10, 2001 and wrongfully confining him in a secluded house at Indira Park in New Delhi.

After Kumar's conviction, Pandey had requested Additional Sessions Judge S P Garg to let him off without any custodial punishment as this was his first offence.

However, the judge declined Pandey's plea, stating that the law must take its own course. "Perusal of the file reveals that the offence committed by the convict is serious whereby he kidnapped and confined the complainant � who is his acquaintance and an aged person - for no fault of his," the judge said.

According to the prosecution, Kumar had abducted Pandey, an employee at the Delhi Race Course, and later demanded a ransom of Rs 3 lakh from his son.

Kumar allegedly also asked the victim's son to disclose the number of the winning horse if he wanted his father back.

However, Kumar's mother released Pandey in her son's absence.

The court sentenced Kumar only for wrongfully confining the victim, not for abducting the complainant for a ransom - a graver offence which would have attracted a severe punishment.