CHENNAI: A businessman was abducted allegedly by a four-member gang near Kilpauk on Monday, robbed of a five-sovereign gold chain, and released only after he agreed to arrange Rs 30 lakh of the Rs 50 lakh, which the gang demanded. In a swift operation, the Kilpauk police arrested all four accused within hours, recovered the chain, the car used for the abduction, and three knives. Two other suspects, including a lawyer, are still at large.
The arrested persons have been identified as Jayasaravanan (20), his brother Jayakumar (33), their relative Ponnivalavan (25), and Ramkumar (23). According to police, Jayakumar had earlier worked as a driver to a former DMK MLA. The victim, Kamalesh Abraham (57), a Chetpet resident, runs an aluminium wholesale business in Sowcarpet and a scrap metal business in Thiruverkadu.
Police said the incident occurred when Kamalesh was on his morning walk near the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) grounds at Nehru Park around 6.30 am. The masked gang, which came in a car, intercepted him, forced him inside, and drove towards Poonamallee.
Inside the car, the gang assaulted Kamalesh at knifepoint and told him that they had been paid Rs 10 lakh to kill him, police added.
The masked gang rejected Kamalesh’s offer to pay them `1 lakh and instead demanded `50 lakh. The businessman eventually agreed to arrange `30 lakh by that afternoon, after which the gang took his phone number, snatched the chain off his neck, and dropped him near the SDAT grounds before fleeing, police said.
Based on a complaint lodged by Kamalesh, the Kilpauk police constituted a special team to arrest the suspects. The police traced the gang after the latter instructed Kamalesh to deliver the money near a tea stall on Broadway. All four accused were arrested by Monday afternoon, sources said.
A police officer told TNIE that the preliminary inquiry showed that Ramkumar had worked as an assistant to Kamalesh’s business partner a few years ago. He had learnt of a recent financial transaction, which led him to believe that Kamalesh was in possession of a large amount of cash, the officer said.
“Ramkumar then joined hands with his associates and planned the abduction. We are also probing whether Kamalesh is involved in any GST-related fraud,” the officer added.
