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Quick end to kidnap drama; two young traders freed

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE June 10. Beating six kidnappers at their own game, Ashoknagar police quickly ended an abduction drama by freeing two young Residency Road-based businessmen on Tuesday morning.

The victims — Bharath Murji Rawat (23) and Velgin Patel (25) — were back in their shop, and their six kidnappers — Gopi Naidu, Devaraj, Jabiullah, Madan, Bharath and Sampath — put behind bars in less than 24 hours.

The drama unfolded with the arrival of six men in a van at Mr. Rawat and Mr. Patel's "Best Computers and Stationeries'' on Residency Road at around 1.30 p.m. on Monday. Posing as officials of the City Crime Branch (CCB), they accused Mr. Rawat and Mr. Patel, who hail from Kutch in Gujarat, of selling fake computer software, cartridges, and other items, and took them away in their vehicle.

On reaching Ramamurthynagar, they demanded a ransom of Rs. 25 lakh from the businessmen for their release. When Mr. Rawat and Mr. Patel said they only were small-time traders, the gang forced them to call up their shop and check how much cash was available.

The abductors beat their victims with rods and cricket bats. When they learnt that about Rs. 35,000 in cash was available, two of the accused went to the shop and brought the money at 3.30 p.m. About four hours later, the shop employees received another call from the gangsters, who demanded an additional Rs. 50,000.

"They kept hitting us when we told them we had no money. Later, they took us to Yelahanka and gave us some food. At around 3 a.m., we were taken to a place on Hosur Road to sleep. We were woken up at 7 a.m. I was taken to Ulsoor to show them our house from a distance,'' Mr. Rawat told The Hindu.

Meanwhile, the gang phoned the relatives of Mr. Rawat and Mr. Patel, and told them that the two had been "arrested".

The relatives were worried, and called police stations to find out why. When they realised that they had been tricked, they lodged a complaint with Ashoknagar police at around 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central), Gopal Hosur, and the Ashoknagar police inspector, Mariswamy Gowda, kept vigil at the shop. Two of the accused, Gopi and Sampath, who came to pick up a cheque for Rs. 50,000, were taken into custody. Police made them call up the rest of the gang and ask them to bring Mr. Rawat and Mr. Patel to Uma theatre in Chamarajpet. When the gang members arrived at the place, six of them were arrested. Mr. Rawat and Mr. Patel were rescued.

Four other associates of the gang, Ashok, Raja, Senthil, and Satish, are wanted by police.

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