HYDERABAD: It was presence of mind that saved cardiologist K.R.K.S. Raju of Yousufguda from falling a prey to an extortion gang. G. Suresh, 28, and five of his associates, who were arrested on Thursday on the charge of kidnapping a real estate agent from Banjara Hills, tried to abduct Dr. Raju too. A few days ago, a member of the gang called up the doctor on his mobile phone claiming to be a police officer.

Dr. Raju was about to go to the hospital then. Saying he was an Assistant Commissioner of Police with the Intelligence wing, the caller requested him to come to his place to treat a patient. "Soon after I hung up the phone explaining that I cannot come, six persons posing as policemen drove in two vehicles to my house," the doctor explained.

Doctor suspicious

As the doctor sat in his car to go to his hospital, one of them approached him saying their ACP had called up and gave a mobile phone. The caller said he was ACP Krishna Prasad and requested him to come in the car sent with the `constables.'

"This is a security precaution doctor," the caller said.

But Dr. Raju grew suspicious since none of them wore police uniform. What strengthened his suspicion was the Tata Indica car in which the six persons came. "Police don't use Indica cars. I also found colour sprinkled over its number plate making it difficult to recognise the number," he said. Then, he made it clear that he cannot go with them and the gang members left.

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