The Kamakshipalya police on Friday arrested five members of a gang, including a gram panchayat member, in connection with a kidnap case.
The arrested have been identified as: Venkatesh Murthy, a gram panchayat member of Hulikere Gunnuru and a resident of Kottehalli, his brother Prashanth and their associates Manjunath, Srikanta Sharma and Mohan.
The five-member gang on Thursday kidnapped factory owner Kumar, his friend Eshwar and held them hostage at a farm in Kottehalli.
Rs 20 lakh loan
Kumar, a resident of Basaweshwaranagar was unaware that his brother Babu had borrowed Rs 20 lakh from Prashanth.
Recently, Prashanth met Kumar and asked him to tell his brother to repay the loan. Kumar asked Babu to pay back the loan at the earliest but he failed to meet the deadline, added the police.
On Thursday, Prashanth along with his brother and associates, went to Kumar’s factory and asked him to pay the money. But Kumar warned them and asked them not to create a ruckus near the factory and told them to ask Babu. Prashanth along with his associates bundled up Kumar in the car.
Eshwar, an employee in Kumar's factory, who tried to rescue Kumar, was also forced into the car and both of them were taken to a farm in Kottehalli, added the police.
Meanwhile, Prashanth called Babu and asked him to pay the money, failing which, they threatened to kill Kumar. Babu along with his father approached Kamakshipalya police station and lodged a complaint. The police analysed the call records and traced the location to Kottehalli.
A team of policemen went to Kottehalli in the early hours of Friday and rescued Kumar and arrested the abductors.
Man killed in accident
A motorcyclist was killed on the spot after his bike collided with a goods vehicle on Thursday evening. The deceased was identified as Babu, 45, a resident of Devanahalli.
According to the police, the incident occurred when Babu was on his way to Devanahalli from Hoskote, where he owned a bakery.
Mowed down
He was mowed down by a goods vehicle in front of Brigade Arch on Sulibele Road. He was tossed in the air, fell down and was run over by the goods vehicle.
The police arrested the goods vehicle driver Assen M, a native of Tamil Nadu, for causing the accident and seized his vehicle, said the police. Babu was married.
The body was handed over to his family members after a post-mortem, added the police.
