An Inspector of Police on Saturday night opened fire in the air to scare a gang that kidnapped a realtor. The gang members let the businessman go and fled the place.

Police sources said that Sakthivel (45), of Keezh Bavani in Erode district, was abducted by a gang in the morning. The miscreants contacted Sakthivel’s family and demanded ₹5 lakh ransom.

The abductors directed the relatives to hand over the money at a secluded place at Ariyanur on the Coimbatore–Salem national highway.

But the relatives preferred a complaint with the police. A special police party was formed to nab the gang.

A relative of Sakthivel waited at Ariyanur. The gang members arrived in a car and attempted to snatch the money from him. Policemen in plainclothes tried to catch hold of them, but the car sped away.

P. Kumar, Inspector of Police of Annathanapatti, gave them a hot chase in a vehicle. He intercepted the car at Alavaipatti near Rasipuram. When the gang members surrounded the police officer and tried to attack him, the Inspector opened fire in the air.

Taken aback, they attempted to flee in a police vehicle. Mr. Kumar opened fire again, damaging the windscreen. Meanwhile, the special police party from Erode district, too, arrived at the scene.

While three members of the gang escaped under the cover of darkness, two others took Sakthivel with them in a car. They dropped Sakthivel in Namakkal and fled the town. Sakthivel was taken to Namakkal police station, where the senior police officers made enquiries with him.The Appakoodal police in Erode district, have registered a case on the abduction attempt.

Ara Arularasu, Superintendent of Police, Namakkal, visited Alavaipatti in the night itself and made enquiries. K. Periaiah, Inspector General of Police, West Zone; G. Karthikeyan, DIG of Police, Salem range (in-charge); and P. Thangadurai, Deputy Commissioner of Police (law and order), Salem City; also inspected the spot on Saturday night.