Doctor kidnapped for ₹6cr ransom given ₹300 to return home
What's the story
A 45-year-old pediatrician from Karnataka's Bellary district was kidnapped on Saturday morning while he was on his routine walk near the Shaneshwara temple in Suryanarayanapet.
The kidnappers, who were traveling in a Tata Indigo, demanded ₹6 crore ransom from Dr. Sunil's brother, Venugopal Gupta, the Indian Express reported.
The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed near the crime scene.
Ransom demand
Kidnappers demand ransom, victim's brother alerts police
The kidnappers then called Gupta through a WhatsApp call to demand the ransom. They asked him to pay half of the ₹6 crore ransom in gold.
Gupta, the president of a local liquor dealers' association, immediately informed the police about his brother's abduction and the ransom demand.
Subsequently, authorities launched a massive search operation and sealed important exit points in Bellary district to nab the kidnappers.
Investigation underway
Victim released with ₹300, police probe potential links
However, in a surprising turn of events, Dr. Sunil was released by his captors at around 8:00pm in a secluded area. He was also given ₹300 to take a bus back home.
The police are now investigating potential links between the kidnapping and Gupta's liquor business, given his prominent position in local trade.
They suspect business rivalry could have played a role in this crime.
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"Dr Sunil was in a state of shock. Our manhunt to nab the kidnappers is going on," a police officer said.
"At the same time, we are also trying to collect information from him. Given that his brother is in the liquor business, we are also looking into whether any business rivalry led to the kidnapping," the officer added.