Garuda Gang abducts bizman, extorts Rs 28L

Bengaluru: Suspected members of the Garuda Gang, which is notorious for abduction and other criminal acts in Udupi and neighbourhood, kept police on tenterhooks recently by abducting a businessman from near Nelamangala in filmi style. They subjected him to severe physical abuse for two days and extorted Rs 28 lakh from him.
The captive, Iqbal, who runs a petrol bunk and a transport business and is a resident of Kotre village in Puttur taluk, Dakshina Kannada, was released near Sakleshpur in Hassan district on Sunday.
Nelamangala Rural police have registered a case and formed a special team to track down the accused. Iqbal told police that his abductors claimed to be Garuda Gang members. Police said they are verifying it.
Police said Iqbal came to Bengaluru on Jan 23 and stayed at a friend's house in Bengaluru that night. After completing his work, he took Rs 1.5 lakh from his friend the next day and left. After having dinner at a hotel near Nelamangala, he headed towards Mangaluru in his car. Around 10pm, three cars intercepted his vehicle on the highway. The miscreants got down from the car, threatened him with weapons, and kidnapped him.
Iqbal was held captive for two days at an undisclosed location and was subjected to severe physical torture. During this time, they got him to transfer money from his bank account to a few other accounts through his mobile. They extorted Rs 15 lakh from him before taking him to his brother's resort in Sakaleshpur on Sunday. They threatened to kill his brother and extorted another Rs 13 lakh from him. After that, they abandoned Iqbal near the resort, stole his cellphone, and fled in his car.
Iqbal lodged a complaint with jurisdictional Nelamangala Rural police on Wednesday. He stated that the gang had threatened to kill him if he approached police.
Preliminary probe revealed that Iqbal's car driver was in contact with the gang and helped them execute the abduction.