3 college students held for kidnapping youth

CHENNAI: The police have arrested three college students for kidnapping a youth from his home in the Pudupet area on Wednesday to settle a financial dispute.

The Egmore police traced the trio who abducted the youth on Thursday and arrested them.

According to the complainant, Moideen Gabbar (56), he was at his home on Siali Street in Pudupet when three men who came to his home called his son, Mohammed Rafiq. When Rafiq stepped out of the house, they allegedly forcefully grabbed him and took him away.

A few hours later, Gabbar received a phone call from the kidnappers demanding Rs 2 lakh for Rafiq's release. The caller claimed that the youth owed Rs 1.20 lakh to their friend, and demanded an additional Rs 80,000, police said.

Gabbar filed a complaint with the Egmore police station, based on which a case was registered. After investigations, the police traced the suspects, Dinesh Kumar (38) from Natham in Dindigul district, Afsar Ali (23) from Tiruchy, and Vasantha Kumar (24) from Pazhavanthangal. Police said all three are students at a private college in the city.

Police said that Rafiq borrowed Rs 1.20 lakh from a man named Shakti, a friend of Dinesh Kumar. Acting on Shakti's request, Dinesh Kumar planned and executed the abduction with assistance from Afsar Ali and Vasantha Kumar.

Now, a search is on for Sakthi. The arrested persons were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.