Bengaluru: The Parappana Agrahara police arrested three people for abducting a 25-year-old techie under the pretext of giving him a lift and robbing him of Rs 45,000. He was taken hostage for over seven hours before they abandoned him the next morning in Suryanagar. The victim, Anurag Sharma, works as a senior systems manager with Infosys in Chennai. He had come to the city to attend a family function and was returning to Chennai when the incident took place.
The accused have been identified as Ganesha, 29, who worked as plumber, Shridhar, 30, a painter, and Umesh, 20, a food factory worker, all residents of Anekal taluk in Bengaluru. The police are on the hunt for the other accused, Venu, who is on the run.
Anurag missed his bus to Chennai on January 31 night from a bus stop in Electronic City, 2nd Stage on Hosur Main Road. Around 1 am, while he was waiting for the next bus, four men in an Omni van stopped by him and offered to give him a lift. Three men, who were sitting behind, pulled him inside the van and fled. The three blindfolded him and assaulted him before taking his wallet containing his credit and debit card, while the driver continued to drive around the city.
The police said that the accused threatened him, forced him to give up the pin codes and withdrew Rs 45,000 from an ATM. After keeping him hostage for over seven hours, they left him around 8.30 am on February 1 near Naganayakanahalli in Suryanagar police limits with his hands and legs tied.
He took the help from the public and after getting treatment, filed a complaint with the Parappana Agrahara police, who formed a special team and arrested the three accused.
The police said the main accused, Ganesha, had several robbery and theft cases against him in the city and was arrested and jailed. After completing his jail term, Ganesha met the other three accused, formed a gang and started looting people in Parappana Agrahara and Suryanagar police limits.
A senior officer said Ganesha was planning to kill his relative Shobharaj. With their arrest, the police have solved four cases in the city, including two bike thefts, and prevented a murder.
