A Congress Ward Councillor in the city corporation was arrested for allegedly beating up a local merchant and forcibly taking away money from him, police said here on Friday.
Tibin Devassy, the councillor of the Island South, was the third accused in a case filed by Krishnamani, a local merchant, and he was arrested along with Fayaz and Shemeer-the two other accused last night, they said.
According to police sources, Fayaz, one of the accused, was a business partner of Krishnamani in Qatar previously and there had been some financial dispute between the duo. In the complaint, the merchant alleged that Devassy and two others "kidnapped" him, beat him up and forcibly made him transfer Rs two lakh to their bank account. Krishnamani also alleged that they forced him to sign on a stamp paper promising to give Rs 20 lakh to Fayaz.
Police said the arrest of the trio was recorded and they would be produced before a local court soon.