An armed group allegedly kidnapped a former member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on the outskirts of Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday and released her several hours later after negotiating a ransom demand, according to a police complaint.
Dayananda Reddy, 63, told police that he was returning home with his driver after visiting the Gold Coin Club when their car stopped near Hoskur in Ankal taluk around 12.15 am.
According to the complaint, the men who arrived on a motorcycle approached the vehicle and informed Reddy that a gift had been delivered to him. One of them offered a cotton box, and when Reddy opened the car door, he allegedly entered the car, brandished a firearm and ordered him to drive as instructed.
Investigators said another car, described as a red car with a Kerala registration number, was following them. Reddy was then allegedly taken to KHB Layout near Attebele, where the group threatened to kill him.
The police said that the kidnappers claimed that A $He was issued a contract worth Rs 10 crore to kill him and used the confirmation to demand money. Reddy claimed that a gun was held on his neck while threats were made against him.
Fearing for his safety, he pleaded with the men to spare his life and offered to provide the money, according to the complaint. The group sought out at first $3 Crores before approval $2 Crores after discussions.
Reddy allegedly told the men that he could not immediately access such a large sum because the banks were closed. He asked for a deadline until the morning to withdraw the money. The kidnappers then ordered him to contact them after arranging the money and released him, police said.
After being released at around 4.45 am, Reddy went to Attebele police station and lodged a complaint. A case has since been registered and an investigation opened.
“We have registered an FIR based on the complaint and formed special teams to identify and arrest the accused,” Bengaluru Rural Police Superintendent MV Chandra Kanth said.
He said investigators are examining CCTV footage from locations linked to the alleged route taken by the suspects and are following up on multiple leads.
“At this stage, all angles are being investigated. We have identified two accused hiding in the city and two others who have fled to Kerala. We have sent a team to Kerala to arrest them,” he said.
According to the officer, preliminary findings indicate that the Ola taxi driver identified as Praveen is suspected to be the main conspirator behind the alleged extortion attempt. Police believe he owes Reddy $1.5 thousand pounds in a car accident case.
“We will arrest all the accused soon,” Chandra Kanth said.
