The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Bengaluru): In a dramatic incident in Bengaluru, a 50-year-old ragpicker became the victim of an abduction by three individuals masquerading as police officers, who demanded a hefty ransom of Rs 5 lakh for his release. The timely intervention of the actual police led to the victim’s rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators, including a known criminal.
The police apprehended the suspects in the act, with one identified as 33-year-old Muzammil Pasha, a recognized history-sheeter at the Yelahanka police station. His accomplices, Syed Shifu, aged 32, and Syed Yousaf, aged 35, hail from the vicinity of Kogilu, close to Yelahanka.
The ordeal began on the night of March 6, when the trio forcibly entered the home of the ragpicker, named Masoom, under the guise of officers from the Amruthahalli police station. Accusing him of criminal involvement, they “detained” him for an alleged investigation, subsequently relocating him to a secluded area, as per the account provided by Masoom.
While in captivity, Masoom faced threats and physical abuse from his captors, who used bottles and machetes to intimidate and harm him, all while demanding a ransom of Rs 5 lakh for his release. Fortune smiled on Masoom when officers from the Amruthahalli police station, happening to pass by, intervened, leading to his rescue from the clutches of his abductors.
The assailants were subsequently arrested and are facing charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 364A (kidnapping for ransom), and 506 (criminal intimidation), highlighting the seriousness of their offenses.