<p>Bengaluru: The Electronics City police on Wednesday arrested three men who allegedly abducted a spa owner and demanded Rs 2 lakh to clear online gambling losses of one suspect.</p>.<p>The arrested are Akshay, 26, a BBA graduate and car driver; Manjunath alias Mantapa Manja, 28, a BA graduate and facility manager at an apartment in Gottigere; and Prajwal, 28, a Class 10 pass and warehouse manager with an e-commerce firm. All three lived in and around Bengaluru and have past criminal records.</p>.<p>Police said Manjunath had allegedly misappropriated apartment maintenance funds and lost money in online gambling.</p>.<p>“One of Manjunath’s neighbours was a partner of the victim, Ashith Jha, who ran a spa in Akshayanagar. Since the neighbour was living lavishly, Manjunath assumed that kidnapping his partner would fetch him the money he needed to pay off the debts. For three days, the trio watched the victim and his movements,” a police investigator said.</p>.<p>Around 9 pm on February 15, Ashith Kumar Jha, 28, from Bihar, was returning home with his shop manager Manukumar when the suspects waylaid them near Bettadasanapura. They rammed their two-wheeler with a car and assaulted them with weapons.</p>.Bengaluru: Spa owner abducted near Electronics City.<p>The suspects kidnapped Jha while Manukumar escaped and alerted the police.</p>.<p>“They tied a cloth around Jha’s face and forced him inside the car. Aafter Manukumar approached the police, a separate team was formed to investigate. On Monday, Jha’s business partner, Prakash Mandal, got a call from Jha, saying he had to pay a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for his release, failing which he would be harmed,” a senior police officer said.</p>.<p>A second ransom call came on Tuesday evening, asking Mandal to drop Rs 2 lakh near a coconut plantation.</p>.<p>Police laid a trap and nabbed Akshay when he arrived to collect the cash. This led to the arrest of the others. Jha was rescued near a petrol bunk on S Bingipura Road.</p>.<p>“The suspects had around Rs 1,000 with them and were roaming on the city outskirts in the car along with the victim,” a police investigator said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Electronics City police on Wednesday arrested three men who allegedly abducted a spa owner and demanded Rs 2 lakh to clear online gambling losses of one suspect.</p>.<p>The arrested are Akshay, 26, a BBA graduate and car driver; Manjunath alias Mantapa Manja, 28, a BA graduate and facility manager at an apartment in Gottigere; and Prajwal, 28, a Class 10 pass and warehouse manager with an e-commerce firm. All three lived in and around Bengaluru and have past criminal records.</p>.<p>Police said Manjunath had allegedly misappropriated apartment maintenance funds and lost money in online gambling.</p>.<p>“One of Manjunath’s neighbours was a partner of the victim, Ashith Jha, who ran a spa in Akshayanagar. Since the neighbour was living lavishly, Manjunath assumed that kidnapping his partner would fetch him the money he needed to pay off the debts. For three days, the trio watched the victim and his movements,” a police investigator said.</p>.<p>Around 9 pm on February 15, Ashith Kumar Jha, 28, from Bihar, was returning home with his shop manager Manukumar when the suspects waylaid them near Bettadasanapura. They rammed their two-wheeler with a car and assaulted them with weapons.</p>.Bengaluru: Spa owner abducted near Electronics City.<p>The suspects kidnapped Jha while Manukumar escaped and alerted the police.</p>.<p>“They tied a cloth around Jha’s face and forced him inside the car. Aafter Manukumar approached the police, a separate team was formed to investigate. On Monday, Jha’s business partner, Prakash Mandal, got a call from Jha, saying he had to pay a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for his release, failing which he would be harmed,” a senior police officer said.</p>.<p>A second ransom call came on Tuesday evening, asking Mandal to drop Rs 2 lakh near a coconut plantation.</p>.<p>Police laid a trap and nabbed Akshay when he arrived to collect the cash. This led to the arrest of the others. Jha was rescued near a petrol bunk on S Bingipura Road.</p>.<p>“The suspects had around Rs 1,000 with them and were roaming on the city outskirts in the car along with the victim,” a police investigator said.</p>
