Karnataka: Teenage boy rescued, 3 abductors arrested

A teenaged boy, kidnapped by a gang last month for ransom, was rescued and three of his alleged abductors were shot at and arrested by police in a pre-dawn operation here on Tuesday.

The boy, son of a businessman, and his car driver were rescued by the police after they nabbed one of the gang members when he came to collect the Rs 3 crore ransom from the family at a designated place on Kanakapura road here, police said.

As the police tried to catch him, the abductor 'attacked' a sub-inspector with a dagger and tried to flee, prompting the latter to open fire on his right arm, an official statement said.

During interrogation, the man revealed the names of two of his accomplices, who were later arrested following an encounter near Janapriya township in the city outskirts.

As the duo attacked police with sharp-edged weapons, they were shot at and caught before being arrested. "We suspect the involvement of a few more people. We are also probing the possible role of Keshav Reddy (driver)," Inspector General of Central Range K V Sharath Chandra told reporters.

The boy, pursuing his second pre-university course, was returning home in his car when he along with driver Keshav Reddy were abducted on August 26 on the outskirts of the city under Rajanukunte police station limits. Based on the complaint by the victim's father, police launched an investigation into the matter. For almost 20 days, the abductors made calls to the family and demanded a ransom of Rs 3 crore. When the family finally agreed to pay, the accused had instructed them to bring the money to Kanakapura Road here in the wee hours of Tuesday. All three kidnappers were arrested.