Thoothukudi businessman kidnapped in Chengalpattu, rescued from Tenkasi

CHENNAI: A businessman who allegedly cheated several people of more than Rs 1 crore in Kovilpatti was kidnapped by a group of men from a private amusement park in Tiruporur. He was later rescued by Chengalpattu police from a private lodge in Tenkasi.

Gomathi Sankar (47) of Thoothukudi's Kovilpatti was in the trade of used cars. He had collected over Rs 1 crore from several people, promising to make them business partners. Pressure mounted on Sankar from the investors as he failed to keep up the promise, and he went into hiding. He later lived with his daughter and son-in-law at their apartment in Kolapakkam near Porur.

He visited the amusement park with his family on Wednesday, when a group of wronged investors from Kovilpatti waited outside for him. When the family came out at night, the group attempted to catch Sankar.

Though the family initially escaped in their car, the group chased them and intercepted the vehicle near Kottamedu in Guduvanchery. They dragged Gomathi Sankar out of the car, assaulted him and kidnapped him in another vehicle.

His son-in-law alerted the police, and three special teams were formed to find Sankar. They tracked him to a private lodge in Tenkasi and found that the kidnappers had abandoned the first vehicle in a forest area near Poonjeri and changed cars.

Acting on the information, police seized the vehicle and arrested two accused, Sivanandha Kannan (39) of Anakaputhur, and Gopinath (20) of Villupuram. Search is under way for four key suspects, including Senthil and Saravanan. Police rescued Gomathi Sankar from the Tenkasi lodge and brought him back safely.