BENGALURU: Kaggalipura police on Saturday arrested two people, including a TV journalist, for kidnapping and robbing a 68-year-old man. The prime accused, Ranjitha, got in touch with the victim via social media, police said. She and her associates planned to honeytrap him and extort money.
The arrested are N Suresh and Chandrashekar, residents of Govindarajnagar. Their associates, Ranjitha, V Srinivas, Chandrashekar, Vikas and Shivu, are residents of Vijaynagar. Chandrashekar is also a reporter with a news channel.
A senior police officer from Kaggalipura police station said that the victim, a native of Hubballli, would send messages to Ranjitha, a TV anchor, via a social media account. She asked him to meet, on the pretext of taking him on a two-day trip.
On August 25, he came to Bengaluru to meet her and the duo booked a cab to a resort on Kanakapura Road. When they were in the room, a gang of men barged in. They forced him to sleep on the bed with Ranjitha and started recording a video. They asked him to take off his clothes and then shoved him in a car and brought him to Suresh’s office in Govindrajnagar. Suresh is the state president of a labourers association and his car was used to kidnap the victim.
They took Rs 15,000 from him and demanded that he give them Rs 25 lakh, else his photos and videos would be sent to his family and to news channels. When the victim agreed to transfer the amount, he was released.
Govind BT, an investigating officer said the victim, who is a retired employee, discussed the case with a friend and then decided to file a complaint. On September 12, he approached Kaggalipura police, and two of the accused were nabbed. They also seized Suresh’s car.
“Suresh made a statement that Ranjitha and one of her colleagues, who is also a journalist, allegedly hatched the plan to make easy money. Five of the accused are absconding, and efforts are on to nab them,” Govind added.