BENGALURU: In a swift action, KP Agrahara police arrested a gang of four men who had allegedly kidnapped a 5-year-old boy Chandan and demanded `35 lakh ransom on Sunday. The police opened fire at one of the accused Divyatej, who tried to attack the policemen in a bid to escape. The incident took place in Kommaghatta near Kengeri on Tuesday.
The prime accused Abhishek had hatched the kidnap plot. In fact, he even pretended to help the family when they approached the police. The victim’s family are tenants in Abhishek’s parents’ house. The arrested are Abhishek, a resident of Manjunathnagar; Divyatej alias DJ, his friend Harishith, both residents of Kasturba Nagar; and Srikanth of Chamrajpet. They are aged between 18 and 25. Three other accused are still at large.
A senior police officer said the incident was reported on Sunday soon after the boy, Chandan, was kidnapped by bike-borne men. Chandan’s father Rajesh had approached the police. In a CCTV footage obtained from the area where the boy was abducted, police saw that Abhishek was in the area. Three police teams were formed to nab the accused and they tracked phone call records.
Meanwhile, Abhishek joined Rajesh’s family and pretended to search for the boy. This is when police tapped his phone and heard him speaking to other kidnappers, telling them to change their location. Abhishek was taken into custody.
Police said that after interrogation, Abhishek spilled the beans and the police then tracked the movements of the other accused who were using a Maruti Swift car after kidnapping the boy.
The kidnappers’ car was chased and forced to stop near Kommaghatta road in Kengeri. The car driver, Divyatej, charged at the policemen with a machete. In self defence, police inspector Manjunath fired two rounds at Divyatej’s leg. One of the bullets hit his right leg, immobilising him. Chandan was reunited with his parents on Tuesday morning.
The boy starved entire day
The gang members left Chandan starving after abducting him. Divyatej and Srikanth had called Rajesh to demand the ransom amount. The boy, who was in a state of shock, was not willing to eat anything even when the police rescued him, a police officer added. He ate only after he was reunited with his parents.