A group of miscreants kidnapped two persons in the city on Sunday morning, only to release them the next day as their plan went awry, according to a police complaint lodged here.

The puzzling case came to light after the kidnapped persons lodged a police complaint here on Wednesday. ACP J. Kulasekhar gave details of the case to the media.

“Jami Suresh Kumar, a realtor in the city, and his friend S.L.N. Raju were on a morning walk in Dwarakanagar when five persons, armed with sharp-edged weapons and guns, allegedly confronted them and forced them into a car. The duo was taken to a house in Parawada where they were assaulted. The captors then allegedly demanded a ransom of ₹5 crore from the duo,” Mr. Kulasekhar said.

Mr. Suresh reportedly told the kidnappers that he could pay only ₹70 lakh, and asked the kidnappers to take him to his house near Allipuram so that he could pay them by selling off his wife’s jewellery.

The kidnappers reportedly agreed with Mr. Suresh’s proposal, but decided to keep Mr. Raju hostage and let him go only after Mr. Suresh held up his end of the bargain. The kidnappers then escorted Mr. Suresh to his house and waited outside as he went in to fetch the jewellery. However, on seeing the bruises on his face and body, Mr. Suresh’s wife raised an alarm. His 23-year-old son then went out and confronted the miscreants, threatening to call the police. The kidnappers then reportedly fled the spot, and also alerted their accomplices who were holding Mr. Raju captive to abandon the kidnap plot and flee.

“We have booked a case and an investigation is on. Police are on the lookout for the kidnappers and a manhunt has been launched,” Mr. Kulasekhar said.