VISAKHAPATNAM: Two people were arrested on Thursday after they allegedly held captive Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana’s wife Jyothi, son Sarat Chandra and auditor-friend Gannamaneni Venkateswara Rao alias GV, who is also the former chairman of Visakhapatnam Smart City Corporation, for ransom.
The accused have been identified as history sheeter Ch Hemant Kumar, the key conspirator, and Rajesh. Police are on the lookout for five others involved in the crime. Sharing details of the case, Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police CM Trivikram Varma said he had received a call from the YSRC leader at 8 am, stating that he was concerned about GV’s safety as he was not answering his phone calls.
“We grew suspicious when the auditor received our call and in a feeble voice told us that he was coming from Srikakulam. However, his mobile was traced in Rushikonda,” Varma added. Following this, 15 special teams were formed with three DCP rank officers to investigate the issue.
When they reached Rushikonda, the accused tried to give them a slip and flee. Police chased the gang and nabbed two of them near Padmanabham. It was only after reaching Rushikonda that they realised that the MP’s wife and son were also held captive. Varma said at least seven people were involved in the case.
Elaborating, the police officer said the accused had conducted a recce at the MP’s Rushikonda house, where his son had been living alone. “They first took Sarat into captivity on Tuesday and stole valuables. Later, they forced him to call his mother to the house. When Jyothi arrived, they held her captive, too,” he explained. The accused called GV the next day. Police said the auditor initially arranged Rs 1.50 crore for the abductors, but they later demanded more money to release them.
The MP, who was in Hyderabad, when the incident took place, said he did not have any disputes with the accused and maintained that the reason for the abduction was purely for ransom. “The accused had also planned to kidnap me and force me to sign some documents,” MP claimed.
Varma said Hemant, a native of Bheemunipatnam, has been involved in 12 cases, including three cases of kidnap. Recently, he was released from jail on bail. While the cash given to the accused is yet to be recovered, a case has been registered and a probe is underway.