CHENNAI: A city-based financier and his relative were allegedly abducted by a four-member gang and were released after they paid the abductors Rs 33 lakh on Thursday.Police said C Mohan of West Mambalam runs a finance company along with four others at Vadapalani. On April 23, one Saravana Kumar approached him on the pretext of seeking a loan of Rs 20 lakh for a medical equipment manufacturing unit on OMR.
Saravana Kumar kept meeting Mohan often. “On Thursday, Mohan and his relative Manickam decided to visit the unit before granting the loan. Saravana Kumar offered to drive the duo in his car. He drove towards Tambaram claiming there was heavy traffic on OMR road. As the car reached Mappedu near Selaiyur, three unidentified men, who were said to be associates of Saravana Kumar, were waiting in another car,” said the investigation officer quoting Mohan.
Mohan, said in his complaint that the men asked the trio to shift cars and all of them were driven towards Tambaram. “A few minutes later, the four men threatened Mohan at knife-point and later demanded `1 crore and allegedly starting attacking him. After a while, the men settled for `33 lakh,” the officer said. Later, Mohan, was forced to call his staff at the company and asked them to bring `33 lakh and give it to another person who was waiting at Koyambedu.
“After the money was handed over, the gang took away around 28 sovereigns of gold jewellery and two mobile phones from the financier and his relative, blindfolded them and dropped them at Tambaram,” the officer said. The two reached home in an autorickshaw. On Friday, they filed a complaint with Vadapalani police. A special team has been formed to nab the culprits.
Early in May, a 23-year-old man Rajesh, was allegedly kidnapped by a five-member gang at Uthiramerur owing to previous enmity for a ransom of `15 lakh. However, the kidnappers abandoned Rajesh near a forest in Tiruvannamalai after withdrawing `15,000 using his debit card. Later, two men were arrested.
In December 2017, M Ribaiudin (29) who owns a shop for manufacturing jewel bags and wholesale leather supply in MKB Nagar was kidnapped after he failed to return the money he had borrowed from one Abdul. However, police rescued him and arrested three men. In September 2017, a six-member gang was arrested for abducting a 60-year-old businessman Peer Mohammed from Tondiarpet and demanding a ransom of `80 lakh. They let the man off after getting `3 lakh.
