CHENNAI: Four auto rickshaw drivers were arrested for allegedly ‘kidnapping’ five migrant workers from Bihar, diverting them from their intended workplace in Chennai and enrolling them at a different private company in exchange for a commission.
The suspects have been identified as Napoleon (35) of Pattinapakkam, Mahendran (38) of Thoraipakkam, and Mani (40) and Narayanamoorthy alias Kathi (31).
According to the Flower Bazaar police, one of the victims, Sathu Kumar (23), a Bihar native working at a manpower firm in Pattaravakkam run by Narendran (39) of Madhavaram, brought with him four men - Bhawan Kumar (23), Gulshan Manjhi (19), Rango Kumar (20) and Mukesh Kumar (22) - for work at the company where he has been working for the past six months.
The five hired an auto from Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Chennai Central railway station to their working place at Pattaravakkam. But the driver, Napoleon, took them to Kilambakkam instead.
Using Sathu Kumar’s phone, Napolean called Narendran and demanded Rs 1,500 per head to drop the men at their workplace. Though Narendran agreed to pay, the auto driver took the five to Athipattu in Ambattur and allegedly enrolled them at another private company there, and collected a commission of `8,500 before fleeing.
The police said the other three auto drivers were following Napolean in another autorickshaw.
Acting on Narendran’s complaint at Flower Bazaar police station, the officers traced the workers using Sathu Kumar’s phone number and rescued them unhurt. The agent of the Ambattur firm is still at large. The police have started a search for him.