Vishnu Vandana (47), daughter of the former Koppal MP H.G. Ramulu, who was reportedly kidnapped from the BBMP shopping complex in Jayanagar 4th Block here on Monday night, was traced in Chennai on Tuesday.
On the basis of “ground level” intelligence gathered by them, a police team from Bangalore traced Ms. Vandana, wife of Hyderabad-based hotelier Ravi Kumar, in Chennai.
“She is safe and sound and is being brought back to Bangalore,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Sonia Narang told The Hindu here. According to the police sources, Ms. Vandana was found alone in Chennai.
Three police teams were constituted to trace Ms. Vandana. Reports said that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs. 35 lakh from her family to release her.
To be questioned
Whether it was a kidnap for ransom or Ms. Vandana had faked it as was being speculated, Ms. Narang said that those details would emerge only after she is brought back to Bangalore and questioned.
Around 7 p.m. on Monday, Ms. Vandana and her cousin Dolly were at one shop at the Jayanagar shopping complex while Mr. Ravi Kumar was at another. After a few minutes, Ms. Dolly went to a pharmacy and Ms. Vandana went to buy flowers. Thereafter she was reported missing, the police said.
After a futile search for her, Mr. Ravi Kumar and Ms. Dolly called Ms. Vandana on her cellphone and she reportedly told them that she was in a car with two persons and, was discussing a marriage issue. However, when they tried to contact her a few minutes later, the phone was switched off. It is said that one of the phone calls made to her mobile phone was traced to Andhra Pradesh.
The couple, from Hyderabad, had come to Bangalore to visit their daughter who lives here and were supposed to return on Monday night.
Ms. Vandana is one of the seven daughters of Mr. Ramulu, Congressman who represented Koppal in the Lok Sabha for four terms. Earlier, he was a leading excise contractor and a prominent leader of the Idiga community. His son H.R. Srinath is a former president of Koppal DCC and a former MLC.
