Sri Lankan man on business trip kidnapped in Chennai; woman among 4 arrested

• Abductors had demanded 15 lakhs as ransom to release him
• The arrested abductors kidnapped Shyam after he vacated his hotel room on November 11

A Sri Lanka-based businessman, kidnapped by a gang of six,  including a woman, over a financial transaction, was rescued by city  police in Chennai after they received a distress call from the abducted  man’s daughter who lives in Sri Lanka.   

On Wednesday, the Chennai city police control room received  a distress call from one Archana Hussain in Sri Lanka, saying her  father Mohammad Shyam was kidnapped while on a business visit to  Chennai.  

She said the abductors called her from her kidnapped  father’s mobile phone and demanded 15 lakhs as ransom to release him.  Believing their words, she already remitted 95,000, Archana Hussain told  police.   
Treating it as a complaint, the North Beach Police registered a kidnap case.   

A team led by Harbour Assistant Commissioner of Police T.  Veerakumar then started tracking the suspects and the victim Mohammad  Shyam’s mobile phone signal. The team traced the suspects to a hideout  in Mannadi and rescued Shyam.   
They then arrested K. Chitra, 43, and Riyaz Askar, 47, both  from Anna Nagar West, G. Velmurugan, 41, and K. Dinesh, 31, of West KK  Nagar.   

Inquiries revealed that Shyam had borrowed 5 lakhs from  Chitra and didn’t repay it. Chitra tracked Shyam’s movements and engaged  her friends to abduct him to extract the money from him.  The arrested abductors kidnapped Shyam after he vacated his hotel room on November 11. 

 
They detained him at a house in Virugambakkam and  threatened him that he would not be freed unless the money was paid up.  As he didn’t have money with him, the abductors called his daughter in  Sri Lanka and demanded money.   

“The team is searching for two more suspects involved in  the kidnap,” said an officer. The four arrested will be remanded in  judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate court on  Friday. (Times of India)           

•  They detained him at a house in Virugambakkam and  threatened him that he would not be freed unless the money was paid up