Bangalore:
A gang of kidnappers targeted teenagers from affluent families and released them after getting the ransom. On Tuesday, the gang was preparing to commit a dacoity when the DJ Halli police arrested them.
Police said two of the gang members were wanted in cases of murder and attempt to murder in cases registered at Siddapur and BTM Layout police station limits.
The gang confessed to kidnapping five children in separate cases and releasing them after receiving ransom.
The police cited the case of a missing teenager in RT Nagar. His family later found that he was kidnapped.
"But they did not report to us about the kidnapping or ransom payment they made (to the kidnappers) and the case was forgotten," said BB Ashok Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Pulakeshinagar subdivision).
The gang struck again and another 'missing' case was reported in DJ Halli police station. "As the boy was a minor, there was again a complaint of missing. But we pursued the matter and found the gang was behind the abduction," said Kumar.
The kidnappers had rented out a house in KG Halli and they used to keep the kidnap victims there. "In a bid to get the ransom, they used to fill the house with smoke and call up the victim's parents. As the victims choked and started crying, their parents thought their child was in real trouble. They finally paid up for their wards' release," said inspector BV Pradeep of KG Halli.
In one such case, the kidnap victim escaped after the car taking him hit a KSRTC bus.
As people began to gather around the vehicle, the abductors tried to ward off them and, in the melee, the victim escaped.
"This happened after the victim took out money from an ATM using his card," said Pradeep.
The gang members arrested were identified as Suresh, 25, Shahid, 24, Nizam, 22, Satish, 25, Rizwan, 26 and Byle Zia, 25. Suresh and Shahid were wanted in murder and attempt to murder cases.
They confessed that they had abducted five children till now and had released them after getting the ransom.
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