Businessman among four arrested for kidnapping student in Bengaluru

Inquiries revealed that the accused had business ties with the victim’s father. The duo had a financial dispute

The accused were taking the victim towards Kalaburagi. When the accused reached Tumakuru and stopped the car for a break, the victim managed to escape and went to the police.  | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

The Yelahanka police on Tuesday arrested a 43-year-old businessman and three of his associates for allegedly kidnapping a student enrolled in a private college in Bengaluru to recover money from his father.

The accused Ramesh Rathod, Rizwan Patel, Indrajith Pawar and Harish Kumar from Kalaburagi were arrested with the help of the Chitradurga police.

According to the police, the accused approached the victim, studying in a private college, accusing him of harassing a girl and forced him in a car on the pretext of inquiry and drove away. When the accused reached Tumakuru and stopped the car for a break, the victim managed to escape and went to the police.

The police later handed him over to Yelahanka police, who swung into action and tracked down the accused near Chitradurga and arrested them within a few hours.

Inquiries revealed that Ramesh Rathod had business ties with the victim’s father and the duo used to sell pulses to Andhra Pradesh ad Maharashtra. The duo had a financial difference and Ramesh claimed that victim’s father owned him ₹3 crore, which was denied by the latter.

Enraged by this, Ramesh hatched a plan to abduct his son studying in a city-based college to recover the money. The police have seized two SUVs the accused were using and are further investigating to ascertain the possible involvement of others in the crime.