JOIN USThe Electronic City police have arrested a gang of five persons who were pretending to be running an escort agency, in connection with a case of kidnapping.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Karim (28), Mohammed Saleem (27), Abbas (31), Sainuddin (24) and Sameer (24) residents of Kodagu. Two cars, five mobile phones and Rs 11,000 in cash have been recovered.
According to the police, during the interrogation, the accused confessed that they used to download girls’ pictures from the internet and lure customers by advertising them online along with phone numbers.
On January 15, 2014, when the complainant contacted the number displayed on the website, the accused promised him of supplying girls and asked him to meet them near HC Gate near Electronic City. At the spot, four persons asked him to sit in a car, saying they would take him to select a girl, the police said.
However, they took him to NICE road and threatened him by saying they were police who probing into a bomb blast case and he was one of the suspects. They also threatened to take him to the police station to interrogate him, the police said.
Waylaid
The complainant pleaded innocence, but the accused took away his wrist watch, wallet, mobile phone and Rs 10,000 in cash, by brandishing a knife.
They also took away his ATM cards and demanded for the PIN number, the police said. They then went to several ATM centres in the City and withdrew cash worth Rs 87,000 from the complainant’s account. At around 2 am the next day, they dropped him near the Mandya bus stand and fled, the police added.
After the complainant lodged a complaint with the police, they laid a trap and arrested the accused by posing as potential customers. They are checking if the gang has committed similar offences in the past, said a senior police officers.