Bengaluru: Five men have been arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) for allegedly kidnapping a 25-year-old gym trainer by impersonating CCB officers, extorting ₹40,000 from him, and later demanding ₹5 lakh while threatening to falsely implicate him in a drug case.
The arrested accused have been identified as Triven Kumar alias Tirumala, Ranjith Rao, Namith, Prem Sai and Shanth Kumar. Police said three other suspects involved in the crime are still absconding, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest them.
Victim allegedly abducted after boarding autorickshaw
According to police, the incident occurred on June 19 when Mithul Kandur, a resident of JP Nagar, boarded an autorickshaw near the City Institute in Shankarpuram at around 5.30 pm.
Soon after, six men allegedly intercepted the autorickshaw, introduced themselves as CCB officers, and accused Mithul of transporting ganja. They allegedly forced him into an SUV, seized his mobile phone and bag, and planted LSD strips inside one of his pouches before photographing the purported evidence.
Taken around the city before being released
Police said the accused drove the victim to the JP Nagar police station, where two of them briefly entered the premises before returning and claiming that the officers inside were occupied.
The group then allegedly drove Mithul around Bengaluru for nearly four hours, keeping him confined inside the vehicle.
Before releasing him, the accused allegedly demanded ₹1.8 lakh to avoid registering a criminal case. When Mithul informed them that he had only ₹40,000, they allegedly accepted the amount and let him go.
Fresh demand of ₹5 lakh
The ordeal did not end there. According to investigators, the accused contacted Mithul again the following day and allegedly demanded ₹5 lakh, threatening to frame him in a fabricated narcotics case if he failed to pay.
Based on the victim’s complaint, the CCB launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of five accused. Police said efforts are continuing to apprehend the remaining three suspects and further investigate the conspiracy.