Kidnap-attempt case haunts Yedyurappa’s PA

The kidnap-attempt case is back again to haunt the personal assistant of BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa.

N R Santosh is the prime suspect in the May 2017 kidnap attempt on Vinay Bidre, former personal assistant of the then Opposition leader in the Legislative Council, K S Eshwarappa.

Now, the case is referred to the Central Crime Branch.

The Mahalakshmi Layout police had registered a case and chargesheeted 12 people, including Santosh, requesting further investigation. However, Bidre met with the city top brass, casting aspersions on the probe.

The accused, including Santosh, did not cooperate during the investigation and tried to destroy evidence even though it was incriminating. The police said the case could be further probed with due permission from the court.

On Tuesday, City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar referred the case to CCB after obtaining the court’s permission.

Earlier, Santosh had hired a gang to kidnap Bidre to recover a CD containing private videos of Santosh, which was in Bidre’s possession.

On May 11, 2017, a gang intercepted Bidre’s car in Mahalakshmi Layout and tried to abduct him. However, they failed as Bidre raised an alarm and passersby came to his
rescue.

Nine arrested

The police then arrested nine people, including BJP Yuva Morcha Leader Rajendra Urs, in connection with the case. However, after evading arrest, Santosh managed to get anticipatory bail and later refused to cooperate with the investigations, Bidre alleged.

Santosh and others were booked under IPC Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 363 (kidnapping), 511 (offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment), 331 (causing grievous hurt to extort confession or to compel restoration of property) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).