Man kidnapped and released after paying Rs. 17.5 lakh

Bengaluru: A software engineer was kidnapped, held for 12 hours, and was released only when he paid Rs. 17.5 lakh to his captors. The kidnappers also took his car after obtaining his signature on the ownership change documents.

In a complaint to the Hebbal police, 36 year old Jai Mitra who works at a private firm, revealed that he was driving to his residence in Anand Nagar in Hebbal at around 7:30 pm, when he was abducted. He was approaching Atria College in Anand Nagar when another car rammed into his car, and the five people in it demanded that he pay Rs.1000 to repair the damages sustained. When Mr. Mitra refused, he was abducted, leaving his Hyundai car on the road.

They later admitted to kidnapping him for ransom and kept driving around in circles while forcing him to arrange for the demanded sum of money. He called his friends Wasim and Prabhu for arranging the money. Wasim delivered Rs. 8.5 lakh to the abductors at around 11:30 pm near Mehkri Circle and another Rs. 2.5 lakh in Jayamahal. Prabhu arranged for Rs. 6.5 lakh which was delivered at 8 am on Friday.

Mitra was released at Mehkri Circle after he forcibly signed the transfer of ownership documents for his car. He went to a hospital to treat the wounds he sustained on his left arm when the kidnappers had accosted him with a knife. Later, he approached the Hebbal police at 2:30 pm.

Mitra gave the names of three of his abductors as Yuvaraj, Salman and Sagar, which he had learnt during their conversations in the car. An FIR has been filed and cases of abduction, assault and criminal conspiracy have been registered.