A police constable, N. Venkatesan (30), attached to Madurai city armed reserve police and two others were arrested by the Madurai district rural police on charges of kidnapping a real-estate businessman, S. Kambarajan (62), on Monday.
The Superintendent of Police, V. Balakrishnan, said that Venkatesan had tried to help his friend Jeyakumar recover Rs. 2 lakh from the businessman, which he reportedly owed to Jeyakumar.
According to police, Venkatesan, deployed in the patrol team of Sellur police, along with three others had gone to the residence of Kambarajan at Railar Nagar in Koodal Pudur police limits on Saturday morning.
ADVERTISEMENT
Claiming that a police enquiry was pending against Kambarajan in Virudhunagar district, he whisked him away in an auto-rickshaw from his residence.
Later, Venkatesan left the businessman with the other three returned to city. The businessman was taken to a brick kiln near Rajapalayam in a hired SUV.
A few persons assaulted him with clubs and a spanner demanding Rs. 5 lakh. However, he said that he did not have cash at home, but was ready to give them cheque.
ADVERTISEMENT
His wife, Jhansi Rani (40) was asked to bring the cheque to Periyar Bus stand the next day. When she went there, two persons snatched a bag from her and fled the scene.
The driver of the vehicle, M. Muthukumar, who grew suspicious, informed the owner about the incident, who, in turn, alerted the police. Based on a complaint from Rani, the Koodal Pudur police arrested Venkatesan, K. Kumar (38) and M. Selvaraj. The police have launched a manhunt for Jeyakumar and others.