Kidnapping Case Probe Finds Involvement Of Police Personnel

An investigation of a kidnapping case in Bengaluru has revealed the involvement of four city police personnel among others, officials said Thursday. City police have arrested Harish KL, 44, a constable attached to the Marathahalli Police Station; Shabir Khan, 35 and Zakir Hussain, 30, in connection with the case on March 21. The other three accused, Marathahalli Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), Rangesh and personnel Mahesh and Mahadeva Nayak, are at large and teams have been formed to nab them, police said. Police sources told that the abductee and another person were picked up by the Marthahalli police on charges of illegal wildlife trade as they had found a tiger skin, which was later determined to be a fake. There was a day’s gap between the Marathahalli police picking up the two and verifying the tiger skin and it is alleged that the incident took place on that day, a senior police officer privy to the developments told. On March 21, the abductee, Ramanjani, visited police station and narrated to the police the events, a few hours after a complaint regarding the same was filed by one MB Shivaramayya. Ramanjani alleged that the accused, including the police personnel, detained him illegally on March 18 and threatened him that he would rot in jail if he did not pay them Rs 45 lakh. Following this, the three accused were arrested by city police and booked under Sections 364A, 342 and 389 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).