CHENNAI: Within just seven months, a gang managed to kidnap a real-estate businessman twice. Though the kidnappers were lucky in the first attempt as they received Rs 1.4 crore for his release, the second time they landed in trouble, with the Thalambur police arresting four persons in connection with the incident.
Investigations revealed that the gang members targeted the same businessman – Charles (56), a stakeholder in Neo Max, a firm facing allegations of cheating investors – for the second time and sought `1 crore for his release, as no complaint was filed by his family members in the first instance.
The police said the incident happened when Charles, a resident of Medavakkam, was travelling in his luxury car on the Kelambakkam-Navalur stretch on June 27. When his driver, Shyam (30), parked the car at a shopping mall and stepped out briefly, the four-member gang entered the vehicle, threatened Charles, took control of the car, and drove away with him inside.
Based on CCTV footage, the police traced the suspects to Madurai, rescued Charles from captivity in a farmhouse in the district and seized three cars used in the crime.
Those arrested – Dinesh Pandiyan (34), Dinesh Kumar (33), Sabari (26) from Ramanathapuram district and Karuppasamy (24) from Coimbatore district – were remanded in judicial custody.