Bengaluru: Acting swiftly on a tip-off, Hulimavu police rescued three abducted persons within 15 minutes on Saturday night and recovered ₹1 crore from a gang of eight miscreants. The victims — a couple from Akshayanagar, Motaram and his wife Lakshmi Devi, and a cab driver, Hemanth — were kidnapped near Yelenahalli by the gang, who attempted to extort ransom after discovering a large cash transaction.
The abduction plot
According to police, Motaram had recently received ₹2 crore after selling 14 guntas of land in Anekal taluk. Of this, ₹1 crore was received through banking channels, while another ₹1 crore in cash was intended for a hawala transaction with an areca nut trader in Tumakuru, identified as Mohan.
On Saturday evening, Motaram, driving his SUV with his wife Lakshmi Devi, met cab driver Hemanth, who is Mohan’s nephew, around 6.15 p.m. The couple showed him two bags containing the cash. At this point, two men — Narasimha alias Lakshmi Narasimha (34) and Jeevan (27) — approached the SUV, claiming knowledge of the hawala deal. They demanded a share of the money and began recording a video of the couple with the cash.
When Hemanth objected, the duo assaulted him and attempted to seize the bags. Motaram managed to drive away but was intercepted barely 200 metres later when the gang rammed their motorcycle into his SUV. The abductors forced the couple and Hemanth into a deserted shed, snatched their mobile phones, and demanded ₹10 lakh for their release.
Victims held captive
The gang, which later swelled to eight members, threatened to complain to police if they were not given money. Hemanth was assaulted again when he resisted. The accused — all hailing from Bengaluru and neighbouring areas — included cab drivers, security guards, a milk vendor, and autorickshaw drivers. Two of them, Kishore M alias Lakshmi (30) and Venkataraju alias Minash (28), are already facing trial in separate murder cases.
During the captivity, the gang made Hemanth call Mohan, but he too refused to comply. They then attempted to justify their actions, claiming they were exposing an illegal transaction. Despite holding the trio for nearly two hours, they failed to secure any money, though they briefly gained possession of Motaram’s SUV and ₹1 crore in cash.
Swift police action
Inspector Kumaraswamy B.G. of Hulimavu police station, acting on a tip-off, led a team comprising two sub-inspectors and constables to the spot. Within minutes, they surrounded the shed and apprehended the accused, who eventually confessed. The police recovered the cash intact, along with the miscreants’ car and bike used in the abduction.
The arrested have been identified as Narasimha alias Lakshmi Narasimha (34), Jeevan (27), Ravi Kiran alias Kiran (33), Kishore M alias Lakshmi (30), Venkataraju alias Minash (28), Chandiran alias Chandra (33), Kumar N (36), and Naman (18).
Police appreciation
Bengaluru city police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh lauded the swift response of the Hulimavu police team and rewarded them with ₹20,000 on Sunday.
The case has highlighted how hawala-related disputes can spiral into violent crimes. Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain whether more individuals were involved and to trace the financial dealings connected to the case.
Excerpt
Tags
Akshayanagar couple abduction Bengaluru, hawala transaction dispute leads to abduction,