Bengaluru: In a shocking case of abduction linked to an extortion plot, the Koramangala Police have arrested eight accused, including a head constable from Kolar, for allegedly kidnapping four employees of a call centre after posing as police officers.
The arrested include Chalapathi, Bharath, Pavan, Prasanna, Ateek, Jabeerulla, and two others. During the investigation, police confirmed that Chalapathi, one of the key accused, is a serving Head Constable from Malur in Kolar District.
According to Bengaluru Southeast DCP Sara Fatima, the incident took place around 1 am on November 22, when the accused arrived at Global Connect Telecom Pvt Ltd, a call centre located in Koramangala. Claiming to be police officials, the gang allegedly threatened the staff and forcibly abducted four employees — Pavan, Rajveer, Akash and Anas.
The abductors then demanded ₹25 lakh from the company management and succeeded in transferring ₹18 lakh from the operations manager’s account. Around 4 am, the call centre staff alerted the police.
Acting swiftly, Koramangala Police traced the accused to a lodge in Hoskote by 11 am the same morning and rescued all four kidnapped employees safely. Two cars used in the operation have also been seized.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the gang exploited the recent crackdown on fake call centres, believing the staff would easily fall prey to intimidation. The accused staged a fake police raid to kidnap the employees and extort money.
Inside Story: Loan Pressure Triggered the Crime
Interrogation revealed that the alleged mastermind, Pavan, had suffered heavy losses in real-estate deals and had taken large loans. To repay the debt, he and his associates plotted the kidnapping.
The accused admitted that they deliberately targeted a call centre, taking advantage of recent media reports about police actions against illegal telecom operations.
DCP Sara Fatima confirmed that the investigation is underway and more details may emerge as the financial trail and digital evidence are analysed.
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