CHENNAI: The city police have arrested five people in connection with the kidnap and assault of an assistant director working with filmmaker Suseenthiran in the city.

The police said their probe revealed that the accused bundled the victim, Rajakumaran (29) in a car, attacked and threatened him, asking him to refrain from continuing his relationship with a woman.

Police sources said that a missing complaint was filed at the Arumbakkam police station on Thursday (May 29). Even as the police were looking for the man, the 'missing person' appeared at the Arumbakkam police station the next day and told the officials that he was kidnapped by a gang who assaulted and threatened him, and took his two-wheeler and mobile phone before letting him go.

According to Rajakumaran, he was on his way to a tea stall on his two-wheeler on Thursday evening when a car knocked him down at Razak Garden neighbourhood in Arumbakkam. Before Rajakumaran could realise what was happening, the occupants in the car bundled him up inside the vehicle and went around the city. The five occupants in the car took turns to assault him, threatening him to discontinue his relationship.

The men finally let Rajakumaran off and fled the scene. A special team tracked the CCTV footage and zeroed in on the vehicle used in the kidnap and traced the suspects. On Saturday, the police arrested five people, identified as G Chandrasekar (33) of West Mambalam, M Karthikeyan (25) of Saidapet, Lalit Aditya (21) of T Nagar, V Diwakar (21) of KK Nagar, and Augustine Johnpaul (21) of Saidapet.

The officials recovered the stolen items from Rajakumaran. Further search is under way for others involved in the crime. The arrested persons were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.