HYDERABAD: It was a kidnap scene straight out of an action-packed movie. A DCM van screeched to a halt in front of a house in Adibatla on Friday morning. Several youths wielding stout sticks and with masks on, spilled out and rushed inside the house. Unleashing a torrent of invectives, they went on the rampage. They destroyed household articles, upset the furniture, and, screaming abuse, they beat up those who tried to resist. Then, they picked up a 24-year-old resident of the house, Vaishali Reddy, a dentist, and vanished in the van they came in. It all happened in a jiffy.
The gang was led by 28-year-old businessman and Mr Tea franchise owner K Naveen Reddy. As the parents remained shell-shocked over the audacity of the youths in barging into their house, Naveen rushed out with the woman and sped away in the van. The police traced Vaishali later in the evening while Naveen is said to be absconding. While there were whispers of Naveen being detained, police officials remained tight-lipped and said they are investigating. Vaishali was taken back to her family residence where she is said to be in shock and is being counselled. Eight persons who were involved in the attack have been arrested.
The incident happened when Vaishali’s family was preparing for her engagement. Later, her parents approached the police and lodged a complaint of kidnap and attempt to murder. The police reached the spot and traced the couple after considerable effort. The girl’s parents, in a fit of anger, destroyed a branch of Mr Tea located close to their house. When Additional CP Sudheer Babu and DCP Sunpreet Singh visited the family, Vaishali’s mother fell at the feet of Sudheer Babu, pleading with him to find her daughter.
Vaishali’s parents received a phone call from her in the evening that she was safe and was in the city. But her parents were still quite worried and began looking for Naveen Reddy. Meanwhile, the police traced her. Earlier, Vaishali’s parents along with their friends spilled onto the Nagarjuna Sagar Highway and blocked the vehicular traffic for about two hours to register their protest.
A relative of Vaishali’s who was at her house said: “Naveen had approached her parents in the past and sought her hand in marriage for which they said they needed time and sent him away. The parents then fixed her wedding with a doctor.”
On learning about this plan, Naveen pleaded with Vaishali’s parents to consider him, He also requested the local leaders to hold talks with her parents on his behalf. He told her parents that he is from a well-to-do family and that he would take good care of Vaishali. But they did not relent and instead fixed her engagement with the doctor which enraged Naveen Reddy.
According to sources, Naveen and Vaishali got married about a year ago in a marriage registrar’s office and her parents too were aware of the same. But they wanted the marriage dissolved and wanted Vaishali to marry someone else. Reddy filed a civil case in the court against her parents which is still going on.