87-yr-old 'kidnapped' over property, cops say 'a dispute gone ugly'

Accusing a person known to him of kidnapping him in April for his property, an 87-year-old man has filed a complaint with police.

Raghavarao T, a resident of Bhavaninagar in Railway Layout, named one Prabhu S and others. The octogenarian owns a multi-story building on a property allotted by the Railway Society and lives alone.

Both of his children are married and live in Mysuru. Their occasional visits to meet their father stopped during the lockdown.

Raghavarao alleged that a man introducing himself as Prabhu befriended him after learning that he was living alone.

Wanting to take the property unlawfully, Prabhu barged into Raghavarao’s house with his associates about 6.30 am on April 16.

They then tied the octogenarian, took the property documents and bank passbook from the wardrobe, and abducted him.

They drove to many places outside of Bengaluru with Raghavarao, confining him to an old-age home and thrashing him in a manner that did not show external injuries.

On April 19, the abductors took Raghavarao to Canara Bank’s Nagarabhavi branch and withdrew Rs 20,000. On the same day, they went to the sub-registrar’s office in Rajajinagar and made him sign away the property documents.

Raghavarao said he did not raise an alarm as the abductors threatened to kill him.

Even after making him sign away the property, abductors drove him to different places and shifted him between various elderly homes.

They took him out during the night to withdraw money. Raghavarao said he could not recognise the places due to his old age.

His daughter filed a missing person’s complaint with Jnanabharathi police on July 5. After his return, Raghavarao was unable to give a police statement. But on July 8, he filed a kidnap case.

An investigating officer said the case was technical and appears to be a personal property dispute. “We’re investigating the case and will take necessary action,” the officer said.