COIMBATORE: The city police arrested four persons, including two policemen, for allegedly kidnapping two men and demanding Rs 50 lakh as ransom, on Wednesday.
The incident came to light on Monday when M Parameswari (31) of Vellalur Housing Board Colony near Podanur received a call claiming her brother M Naveen (29) had been kidnapped. The callers demanded Rs 50 lakh for his safe return.
When Parameswari tried contacting Naveen, his phone was switched off. Naveen’s friend P Nirmal Kumar (29) from Kallimadai was also reported missing by his wife N Jenitha. The kidnappers later called Jenitha as well.
Parameswari lodged a complaint at Podanur police station. A special team led by Inspector P Ashok Kumar held an investigation. Following instructions, she contacted the kidnappers pretending to arrange the money. When the gang directed her to the handover, the police arrested two people on the spot.
Interrogation revealed them as V Anand (37) and M Mohan (36), police constables attached to Nallur police station in Tiruppur district. They led them to their associates J Kalidas (31) and J Ramkumar (30), also from Tiruppur, who were arrested later.
Investigation revealed that Naveen and Nirmal Kumar had been running an online lottery scam, defrauding several people. Kalidas, a relative of Anand, along with the others, kidnapped them to extort money.