Bus hijack: police detained firm owner and three associates

The west division police have detained four people, including the owner of a finance firm and his three associates, in connection with the hijacking of a Kannur-bound private bus.

The bus was confiscated by the suspects with the 43 passengers inside on Friday night. They were locked in it and kept hostage for hours in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

A special team formed to investigate the case raided the Global Finance Company — the firm to which the suspects were traced to — and detained its owner Chikka Rangegowda, near Kunigal. He was trying to flee with his family on Saturday.

The police interrogated Rangegowda and also managed to detain three of his associates, who worked for his company as recovery agents.

Their involvement in the hijacking of the bus is yet to be ascertained. The police are verifying their role in other criminal cases or criminal background.

Bus waylaid

On Friday, passengers of a bus headed to Kannur in Kerala from Bengaluru had a harrowing time after four men posing as policemen, waylaid their bus on Mysuru Road and drove it to a godown in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. They seized the bus as its owner, Rafique, had defaulted on his vehicle loan.

The passengers spent hours inside the bus. It was only after police’s intervention that an alternative bus was arranged at 3 am by the travel firm.

The Rajarajeshwari Nagar police have registered a case under the IPC Sections 365 — kidnapping, 341 — wrongful restraint, 342 — wrongful confinement, 504 — intentional insult and 506 — criminal intimidation against the firm.

Ravi D Channannavar DCP (west) said that stringent action would be taken against the suspects as it should send a message to others. They have used criminal force to recover the money, violated the rules and caused inconvenience to passengers.

Meanwhile, Fullerton India — the firm that gave the recovery contract to Rangegowda — stated that it condemns the incident and extended cooperation to the police in the investigation.