AP man held hostage for 40 days to usurp land worth Rs 18 cr

The victim, Thulasi Vamsi Krishna, used to visit the city often for the last two years to sell his ancestral property of 49,497 sq ft land in Adambakkam worth Rs 18 crore. That was when he met Balaji alias Balamurugan of Saligramam, who offered to sell the land and asked Krishna to register a power of attorney in his name last December. He also collected the parent documents of the land worth Rs 18 crore. 

As he was hesitant, Balaji and his aides registered a fake document and tried to prepare a layout for the land. When their attempt failed, they asked Krishna to come to Chennai on September 18 and kidnapped him from Saligramam. 

Even as the family members were searching for him in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (where Krishna frequents for work), his mother Rupa received a phone call on October 22 from Balaji, allegedly trying to pay up Rs 10 crore or register a settlement deed for the Adambakkam land in his name. 

On Saturday, Krishna reportedly got hold of the mobile phone of one of the guards who had fallen asleep after consuming liquor, and called his mother and said he was kept at a lodge. Rupa immediately approached Joint Commissioner (South) KS Narenthiran Nayar, and a special team traced Krishna’s location with the help of mobile phone he used. 

Balaji, Johnson, Suresh, Selvanesan and Thirumurugan were arrested and a car was seized from them. All five were remanded in judicial custody. 

Police said Balaji and Johnson are notorious land grabbers who have several cases pending against them.