HASSAN: The police and the public foiled an attempt by a seven-member gang to abduct a silk merchant here on Tuesday night. Three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to Superintendent of Police Panduranga H. Rane, a seven-member gang, which came from Bangalore in a van, tried to abduct Suresh, the owner of a silk showroom on Harsha Mahal Road here at 10 p.m. while he was on his way home.

The accused followed Suresh from a hotel and pulled him inside the vehicle. When Ramesh, his relative who was with him tried to stop them, one of the abductors threw chilli powder in his face and the vehicle sped away. Suresh fought against abductors and started screaming for help. Two-wheeler riders on Harsha Mahal Road followed the vehicle, which was held up in the traffic jam near Gourikopplu junction.

The police were alerted and they stopped the vehicle. They arrested three persons; the remaining four fled.

The police seized two machetes, fake number plates, black paper used to mask the vehicle's windows and chilli powder from the accused, he added.

The police gave the names of those arrested as Venkatesh (22), Suman (20), and Suresh (28), all from Bangalore. While Venkatesh is from Kamalanagar area, Suman is working in Peenya. Suresh, who was driving the vehicle, is from Goreguntepalya.

Mr. Rane told presspersons here on Wednesday that their motive was to demand ransom from the family. The plan of the accused failed as there was a traffic jam near Mahatma Gandhi Road owing to the visit of the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said.

Two special teams of officers have been formed to arrest the other four accused, he added.

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