Police rule out hawala angle in kidnap

‘Special teams on the lookout for other suspects in Hyderabad’

May 19, 2017 07:47 am | Updated 08:07 am IST - VIJAYAWADA

No escape from law:  City Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Thursday.

No escape from law: City Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Thursday.

Putting an end to speculations over the kidnap of an astrologer allegedly by city doctors, Commissioner of Police D. Gautam Sawang on Thursday said that the claims made by both the complainant and the accused were being verified and investigated.

At a press conference here, Mr. Sawang said: “Three days ago, a case of kidnap was reported to us through the dial 100 service. The Patamata SI and his team reached out to the caller and found that the vehicle in which the missing person was taken away belonged to the Time Hospital. They zeroed in on the car and freed the complainant (Brahmaji). This is an example of police alertness.”

About the allegation against the doctors of Time and Help hospitals, Mr. Sawang said Brahmaji was allegedly kidnapped by a set of people, including doctors of the two hospitals. “The investigation revealed that it was a result of Brahmaji’s failure to arrange a loan for the doctors as promised. This is not a case of hawala transaction and Brahmaji does not have the capacity to arrange the loan.”

As per the deal, Brahmaji was supposed to arrange ₹50-crore loan for the doctors and had taken an advance of ₹40 lakh as his commission along with the documents of the hospital worth ₹50 crore in 2014.

“Three persons, including the doctors, are under our surveillance.

They cannot escape from the city and we can arrest them if needed. Teams have been sent to detain the other doctors who are in Hyderabad,” the CP said.

Role of police official

About action against Patamata CI G. John Kennedy and Traffic ACP K. Suryachandra Rao, Mr. Sawang said; “The officers could have been more effective. Had they been so, we could have nabbed the accused immediately.” On the role of Traffic ACP, Mr. Sawang admitted that he was involved in the case. “His role is being investigated along with the role of a news channel reporter.”

“Brahmaji has not arranged any loan for anyone. Both the versions are being analysed. We cannot yet say if the doctors had physically abused the complainant or used their men to do so. The CCTV footage shows Brahmaji boarding the car alone at his house and there was only the driver then. He is an astrologer by profession and used to deceive people, including educated persons,” Mr. Sawang said.

Making it clear that there is no political pressure, Mr. Sawang said taking the law into one’s own hands would not be tolerated and any such person would not be spared.

Ruling out hawala transaction, the CP said Brahmaji had only promised soft loan for an interest of 40 to 50 paise but never gave money to anyone.

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