Rookie gang kidnaps realtor's son, flees as cops arrive

A rookie gang of four men beat up and kidnapped a teenage son of a wealthy real estate businessman near Yelahanka New Town in northeastern Bengaluru on Monday morning, but the victim’s friend helped the police rescue him about six hours later.

Vaidyanathan, 17, whose father is a well-known realtor who owns several business establishments, was riding to college along with a friend, Nithish Thimmaraju, on a Honda Activa scooter.

As the duo reached Harohalli Tank Bund area around 7.20 am, a car blocked their way. Four hooded men quickly got off and started punching Vaidyanathan in the face. He bruised his nose, eyes and ears. They then dragged him into their car, while one of them snatched his mobile phone and the scooter. The car pulled away, with the fourth kidnapper following it on the victim’s scooter.

A shocked Nithish ran to the Yelahanka New Town police station and made a complaint. He had managed to memorise the car’s registration number.

Special team
The police quickly got to work and formed a special team. A police officer said that it was apparent that Vaidyanathan was kidnapped for ransom given his father’s affluence.

The family, which lives in Bettahalasuru on International Airport Road, was soon informed and the police expected the kidnappers to call up his father for ransom.

Meanwhile, the police tracked down the address of the car’s owner based on its registration number provided by Nithish.

The car belonged to a rental agency near the Hesarghatta bus stand. The agency’s owner told the police that a man had rented it, and gave the police his mobile number. The Call Data Record (CDR) of the number traced its current location to a eucalyptus grove in Kodihalli.

“Our men rushed there around 1.30 pm and searched the area. They found Vaidyanathan lying tied up and badly beaten. He was rushed to hospital,” DCP (Northeast) Vikash Kumar Vikash said. “We have definite leads on the kidnappers and will catch them soon.”

The police suspect that the abductors are not professionals as they had left behind several clues.

They have registered a case of kidnapping for ransom and robbery. Vaidyanathan and Nithish are students at Nagarjuna PU College at Ramagondanahalli, off Yelahanka New Town.