Bengaluru: Police have arrested five men, including three rowdy-sheeters, on charges of extortion and abduction.
The accused, suspecting a prostitution racket in a house in Bommanahalli, attempted to extort money from the occupants.
The gang forcibly entered the residence in Garvebhavipalya near Hosur main road, securing the premises. They confiscated gold, mobile phones, and Rs 15,000 from the three occupants, after verbally intimidating them.
Subsequently, they demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh for their release. When one of the occupants agreed to pay the ransom, the suspects abducted him in an autorickshaw and took him to an isolated location so he could contact his friend and arrange for the ransom. \
However, when he cried aloud for help, they left him stranded near Begur, police said. The incident unfolded on Monday at 6 pm. A complaint was filed at the Bommanahalli police station the following morning, leading to the prompt arrest of all suspects: Abhishek, Mahesh, Chandrashekar, Kiran, and Siddaraju — all from Bhuvaneshwari Nagar and Katriguppe.
“The criminals devised a scheme to extort money by intimidating the occupants and forcibly entering the premises. Initially, they succeeded in seizing valuables, but their greed drove them to demand more,” an investigating officer told DH.
It was further revealed that among the suspects, Abhishek, Mahesh, and Chandrashekar had previous records as rowdy-sheeters at the Chennammanakere Achukattu police station.
The police suspect that the complainant and his associate were frequent visitors to the location. The potential involvement of a prostitution angle in the case also remains under investigation.
Published 13 October 2023, 21:38 IST