A car dealer told a jury he played no part in organising a £1.5 million plot to kidnap a wealthy businessman.

Dipak Chauhan, on trial at Leicester Crown Court, said he had no idea his friend, Ranjit Rana, was involved with a criminal gang who abducted the Leicestershire millionaire and held him hostage at gunpoint.

Chauhan said if he had known of Rana's role: "I would have rang the police because it's wrong to do that to anyone.''

Under cross-examination, he said he had no suspicions about Rana, despite being in his company on several occasions during the four days the gang held the businessman captive.

Rana (30), of Highway Road, Evington, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnap, false imprisonment and blackmail, between February 5 and 8 last year, and awaits sentencing.

The prosecution claim that Chauhan (38), Atif Mahmood Malik (32) and Rajinder Bhadri (50) were involved with Rana, helping to organise the kidnap.

Chauhan, of Hazel Drive, near Fosse Park, Leicester; Malik, of Dover House, Dover Street, Leicester, and Bhadri, of Templeman Road, West London, all deny the charges.

The businessman, a married father in his 40s, was locking up his Leicester premises at night when a gang pounced and bundled him into a car at gunpoint. He was then taken to Birmingham, tied up and held captive for three nights.

Rana had called the hostage's family demanding a ransom of £1.5 million be paid into a bank account in Dubai. The businessman was released before the money was paid. The Birmingham gang have all pleaded guilty to their involvement and await sentencing.

Police found a piece of paper with the kidnappers' bank account details – which were given to the victim's family – in a cabinet drawer in Chauhan's living room.

Chauhan told the jury he now realised Rana must have left it in his house, and recalled him asking to borrow a pen to write something down while using the phone, during a visit.

The trial continues.