Civil contractor kidnapped from Suratkal rescued in City

A rescue call from a speeding car alerted the police on routine rounds at Jnanabharathi Monday morning and the chase led to the freeing of a Suratkal-based civil contractor, who was allegedly abducted by his friend-turned-foe.

Assistant Sub Inspector M Ramachadraiah and police constable Ramesh of the Jnanabharathi Police Station were on routine rounds near Kengunte Cross Monday morning when they heard a man scream for help from inside a speeding car that sped by the bike that the two were on.

The two officers immediately informed the police station and chased down the speeding car. After a wild chase, the two officers successfully intercepted the car and rescued the man—Ismail Bala, 39 a civil contractor from Suratkal—crying out for help. The police arrested the other two men in the car, the driver Anand and Mukundaiah, 62.

Interrogation of the three revealed a sinister plot of real estate deals gone sour. In his statement to the city police, Bala claimed that he was abducted by Krishnegowda and his father-in-law Mukundaiah and confined to a hospital at Jnanajyothi Nagar, Kumbalagod.

On Monday, he was being shifted to another safe place when he called out for help as he spotted the police.

Bala is a civil contractor from Suratkal. Police sources say that he had worked at Mysore and Bangalore International Airports as a sub-contractor. Bala claimed he was cheated of payment for the contracts.

He told the police that about 11 months ago, he contacted Krishnegowda, his friend also a civil contractor from the City, to recover his dues from the main contractors.

For the past 11 months, he was confined by Krishnegowda and his men. However, he was in constant touch with his family.

According to police, Bala claimed that a week ago, Krishnegowda, desperate that he couldn't recover any payments from the contractors, told him that the latter had spent Rs 1.5 crore on recovering Ismail's money.

He wanted Ismail to reimburse the costs. When Ismail refused to pay up, Krishnegowda and his father-in-law Mukundaiah are alleged to have forcefully held him captive at the International Health Care Centre at Jnanajyothi Nagar, Kumbalagod, owned by Krishnegowda.

Police sources say that Anand was accused in a murder case in Kengeri in 2007. Efforts are on to nab Krishnegowda, alleged to be the kingpin in the abduction, according to the complaint lodged by Ismail Bala.

Sources confirmed to Deccan Herald that a special team of Suratkal Police has left for the city and is expected to reach here by Tuesday morning.

According to DH Mangalore reporter, Bala used to undertake small-time contracts at MRPL in Mangalore, a few years back.

Later, he was allegedly involved in cheating cases and had left for Mysore, where he had taken up contract work at Mysore airport.

Some 10 days ago, he had called his neighbour and told him that he had been abducted and was making the call from a toilet. He had called the same neighbour and told him that the abductors were demanding a ransom of Rs 2.5 crore.