A file image of Mysure City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar (centre).
DH Photo
Mysuru: Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said, the case of a kidnapped businessman was solved in just seven hours on Saturday and five accused have been arrested.
Speaking to media persons, in Mysuru, on Monday, Seema Latkar said, the kidnapped person was real estate businessman Lokesh and his friend H M Santosh – both from Belawadi village on the outskirts of Mysuru city - was the mastermind behind the crime.
The Police Commissioner said, Vijayanagar Police in Mysuru have arrested five accused – H M Santosh, H S Abhishek, R Prajwal, B N Darshan, and Preetam, all from Belawadi village. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
“The accused had assaulted and kidnapped Lokesh, by throwing chili powder in his eyes and had demanded a ransom. Lokesh, originally from Belawadi village, was currently residing in Vijayanagar 4th Stage. The accused Santosh, a painter, was a friend of Lokesh. Santosh learnt about Lokesh's financial dealings and hatched the kidnapping plot, along with his friends, with an intent of making money. Santhosh knew that Lokesh visited a club daily,” Latkar said.
On Saturday evening, while Lokesh was going home on his motorbike, from a club near Vijayanagar and stopped to talk on his mobile, the accused assaulted him from behind, threw chili powder in his eyes, forced him into a car, and fled.
Lokesh's wife, who could not connect Lokesh on his mobile phone for a long time, alerted the Police. Based on her information, the police searched near the club and found Lokesh’s slippers along with chili powder at the scene of crime.
One of the accused, Prajwal, initially called Lokesh's wife demanding Rs 1 crore as ransom to release Lokesh. The ransom was eventually negotiated down to Rs 30 lakh.
Based on the subsequent ransom calls, the police launched an operation. The Police formed five teams and tricked the kidnappers into believing that they would pay the ransom, leading to their arrest.
Prajwal was bound to Mysuru city, to collect the money, when he was detained by a police team. Another police team tracked the other accused to Hampapura, in KR Nagar taluk. The Police arrested four more accused at Hampapura and rescued the businessman.
Vijayanagar Police Station Inspector S D Suresh Kumar, Sub-Inspectors M Jaikirti, Anand, and staff Shankar, Venkatesh, Sunil, Gangadhar, Likhith, Manjunath, Lokesh, and driver Girish were part of the operation.