Kannada film director arrested for abducting ad agency owner

Bengaluru: A Kannada film director and four others were arrested for allegedly abducting an advertising agency owner over a money transaction, police said.

“Film director Madan and his four accomplices Chalapathy, Kiran, Murthy and Mohan, aged 25-40 years, were arrested on Friday on the charge of abducting Paramesh, owner of Ravi Askhay Ad Agency, who was paid Rs 16.3 lakh for promoting his Kannada film ‘Eradu Kanasu’ through advertisements,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, West, M.N. Anucheth told reporters here.

Police rescued the 29-year-old victim on Friday from a farmhouse on the city’s outskirts, where he was kept since Wednesday for ransom.

Though the film was released on March 17 in about 100 theaters across the state, it was withdrawan two weeks later.

“Unhappy with the agency’s work, Madan asked Paramesh to return Rs 8 lakh. As the latter was avoiding the director, the other four accused were sent to meet the victim on the pretext of discussing the issue and kidnapped him on Wednesday,” said Anucheth.

Madan later called Paramesh’s family and demanded a ransom.

Based on a complaint by Paramesh’s family, a police search team traced the four accused and nabbed them on Friday night.

A case was regigtered against the accused for kidnapping or abducting in order to murder under the Indian Penal Code.