Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Two held on charge of kidnapping youth

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have arrested two members of a Vallakadavu-based armed gang on the charge of kidnapping and torturing a youth.

Circle Inspector, Fort, B. Harikumar, identified the suspects as Hisham and Riyad. He said they were members of a 24-member armed gang that used motorbikes (altered for speed) for criminal purposes in the district.

The CI identified the kidnapped youth as “Kappiri” Biju of Velankanni Junction near Valiathura.

According to the police, a gang led by Biju assaulted Riyad near Eenchakkal recently. On Wednesday evening, Riyad spotted Biju in front of a private hospital at Fort. He immediately summoned his friends. The gang arrived on six motorbikes and an auto rickshaw. Most of the youth were carrying machetes.

They hustled Biju into the auto rickshaw after hacking down his friend Marshal. The gang caused quite a scare in Fort area. They chased away onlookers and threatened to cut down those daring to rescue Biju.

The police said the suspects detained Biju in a colony near the International Airport and tortured him. The gang let off Biju on Thursday morning. Investigators tracked the suspects by verifying the registration numbers of the motorbikes used for the operation.

The police said the gang members were using the membership of a powerful left wing youth organisation as a cover for their criminal operations. Their alleged activities included drug peddling, extortion, sale of pirated videos and contraband goods.

Some of them are known to have links with the local leader of an organisation classified as religious fundamentalist and anti-national by the police. The police said they have received at least a dozen anonymous complaints against the rude behaviour of the gang members, including speeding on motorbikes on the Vallakadavu-Injackal road.

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