The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Kidnap mystery of realtor solved

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Monday, Jul 27, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Kidnap mystery of realtor solved

Staff Reporter

GUNTUR: District police have cracked the mystery behind the sensational kidnap of a city-based realtor and son of a leading ophthalmologist and arrested a gang of six persons, including a Guntur based realtor Kurra Srinivasa Rao. The police also seized two cars and a spy cam used for the purpose.

Two accomplices, Munthaj and George Star Joseph were still absconding.

The victim, Kiran Kumar, was kidnapped from his house on June 29 by a gang of four persons allegedly at the behest of Srinivasa Rao, who wanted to settle scores with Kiran’s family who owed him Rs.46 lakh over a deal in the sale of cotton seed.

The gang members, Devulapalli Vara Prasada Rao, Abhay Kumar and George Tony, all of them from Hyderabad, gained access to Kiran on the pretext of buying house plot in Nellore.

After paying a deposit of Rs.10,000, they took him to Vijayawada and allegedly put him in a house near NTR Agricultural University at Gannavaram. They then called up Kiran’s home and demanded a ransom of Rs.3 crores, police said.

Phone numbers

Family members of Kiran, who have been initially reluctant to file a police complaint, finally approached Pattabhipuram police, who with the help of CCS police traced the phone numbers from which calls were being made.

Based on the numbers, the cops were able to trace the calls to areas near Vijayawada and Gannavaram but were unable to make much headway since the addresses provided by kidnappers in the mobile records were found to be false.

The cops however stepped up the vigil.

Realizing that the cops were hot in their pursuit, the kidnappers moved Kiran to locations near Hyderabad, often changing sim numbers to confuse the police.

Finally, they struck a deal with the Kiran’s family members that they would release Kiran, if only police stop searching for them.

Kiran was let out and reached home on July 8. Based on inputs provided by Kiran, the police nailed the main conspirator Srinivasa Rao and his accomplices.

Cases registered

Cases under sections 363 (kidnap), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (intimidation) were registered against the accused.

Superintendent of Police Shanka Brata Bagchi, who produced the accused before the media on Sunday, warned that the police would take stringent action against persons involved in kidnappings.

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