Four youths working in Bengaluru have been arrested on charges of kidnapping former MLC Dayananda Reddy at Surya City in Bengaluru Rural District on Tuesday and demanding a ransom of Rs 2 crore.
Old Grudge Led to Abduction
An old grudge related to a minor accident led to the abduction by the Kerala quartet, police investigations revealed.
C Praveen, 28, Romy Martin, 29, Achhu P alias Adarsh, 25, and Antony MB alias Ashiq, 31 – all residents of Yaduvanahalli in Anekal – were arrested on Thursday. Praveen is a cab driver and Martin is jobless, while Achhu works as a medical transcriptionist and Antony is employed as an assistant in a film unit, police said.
All four were taken into five-day police custody for further questioning, a senior police officer said. “We have seized a car and a motorbike from the accused. Also, we seized the plastic pistol, using which they threatened Reddy,” the officer added.
Kidnapping Details
Reddy, of Bommasandra in Anekal, had told Attibele police that the kidnapping occurred around 12:30 am on Tuesday while he was returning home from Gold Coin Club on Huskur Road. In his complaint, Reddy said two men on a motorcycle blocked his Toyota Velfire near a temple at Heelalige and claimed that “madam” had sent him a gift. When his driver stepped out to collect the purported gift box, the men allegedly entered the vehicle and threatened Reddy with what looked like a gun.
After driving a short distance, they stopped near a red sedan bearing a Kerala registration number. Two more men emerged from the car, ordered the driver to leave, and allegedly took Reddy to a secluded spot in KHB Colony. There, the four men told him they were contract killers who had accepted Rs 10 crore to murder him, the complaint stated.
Reddy said he pleaded for his life and offered money instead. The men allegedly agreed to spare him and demanded Rs 2 crore in cash by the afternoon. Before leaving, one of them identified himself as Praveen and shared a mobile number.
Fake Supari Claim
Investigations revealed that the ‘Rs 10 crore supari’ was a fabricated claim. All the accused wanted was to threaten Reddy and extort money if possible.
Root Cause: A Minor Accident
Cab driver Praveen had accidentally brushed against Reddy’s high-end car last November, denting it. Saying the repair would cost around Rs 1.5 lakh, Reddy’s manager and driver kept Praveen’s cab with them for three days. Praveen issued a cheque for Rs 1.5 lakh, which later bounced. At this stage, Reddy scolded Praveen for non-payment. Keeping this in mind, Praveen, along with his three friends, hatched the kidnapping plan, police said. “Still, we are probing the case from all possible angles,” a senior police officer added.
