The city police have arrested four persons, including a history-sheeter Kaka Ranjith, on the charge of detaining two businessmen at gunpoint in connection with a property deal at Palayam.
The three others arrested are Bhaktha Valsalan, 47, from Malappuram, who is also the State chairman of the Hanuman Sena; K.P. Gopi, 50, from Malappuram; and K. Rajesh, 27, from Kilimanoor, Thiruvananthapuram.
All of them were arrested on Tuesday. The police said eight more persons were involved in the case.
The accused were charged under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with guns), 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), and 506 (criminal intimidation) read with 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Arms Act.
They were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days on Wednesday.
The gang had threatened Arun Kumar and Anwar Sadique, directors of the city-based Calicut Landmark Builders, demanding Rs.1.5 crore. Both of them were allegedly held at gunpoint in a tower in the city.
The businessmen had planned to purchase 6.61 acres of land from three real estate brokers. However, they could only buy only 5.34 acres. This had led to a dispute between the brokers and the businessmen over brokerage, the police said.
