Pramesh S Jain
The Ashoknagar police cracked a kidnap case and rescued a manager of a private company who was abducted by his female friend and her association demanding ransom.
While the police managed to arrest four among the accused identified as Mohammed Asif Risaldar,42, Mohammed Sohail Sheikh,25,both from RT Nagar; Salman Pasha,22,from DJ Halli,and Mohammed Nawaz, 27,from KG Halli,on Saturday,the female friend of the victim identified as Mahima Vat,who is the prime accused in the case along with her three associates are on the run.Efforts are on to track them down,DCP, (Central Division) Hakay Akshay Machhindra,said on Saturday .
He further said that the victim worked as manager at a Dubai-based travel company identified as,Lawrence Melwin had come to Bengaluru on Vacation and stayed in his parents house before checking in a hotel on Residecy road.
The incident came to light when,Leena Antony,mother of Melwin,filed a complaint on July 16,claiming that her son,who was staying at the Ritz Carlton on Residency Road after spending a few days at home,is missing mysteriously and not responding to calls since July 14.
The Ashoknagar police registered a missing persons case and launched the probe.
During the investigation,it was revealed that on the early morning of July 14, Melwin left in a car with Mahima after she repeatedly asked him to meet him.He got inside a cab allegedly booked by Mahima.
However,near Koramangala,the driver took a detour,and when Melwin questioned him,he stopped a few meters ahead,where two others got inside the car.
Melwin’s face was allegedly covered with a cloth mask,and he was beaten up.
The suspects allegedly took his bag containing Rs.1 lakh and also took his phone and forced him to reveal the passwords.
He was then taken to a service apartment where he was tied up and tortured physically demanding Rs.50 lakh in cash for his release.Melwin tried to negotiate down to Rs.20 lakh,but to no avail.
Melwin told the police that the suspects used to lock him inside the room and feed him before going out.Melwin even tried to starve himself, thinking they would take him to the hospital .
When Melwin agreed to Rs.50 lakh,they allegedly demanded Rs.2.5 crore.
The case took an interesting turn on July 22 when a woman from a neighbouring apartment heard Melwin’s loud cries after his captors left.With the woman’s help, he called his sister and informed her that he was in trouble.
When his captors returned they realized that something amiss and forced him into a car before dropping him off near Yeshwanthpur.
This was because the police had managed to arrest the four people who were keeping a watch on the apartment after tracing them through local intelligence.
The police then rescued Melwin and,based on his complaint,filed a fresh FIR and arrested the four suspects.
The police are now on the massive manhunt for the accused who are on the run.
