Bengaluru horror: Mechanic's criminal syndicate nabbed for kidnapping, killing customers

By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Jan 11, 2024, 11:08 AM IST

The Jnanabharati police in Bengaluru have arrested Sanjay and associates for abducting and extorting money from customers at Sanjay's garage. An accomplice, Thimma, is still at large. The arrests followed an attempted kidnapping of Kishan Kumar, who escaped and reported the incident. The gang, childhood friends, targeted affluent customers for ransom. One victim, Gurusiddappa, was murdered, and the gang celebrated with the stolen money in Goa before their arrest. The police are investigating possible links to previous abductions.

The Jnanabharati police station in Bengaluru has successfully apprehended a mechanic and his two associates for their involvement in abducting and extorting money from customers leaving their bikes for service at the suspect's garage. The arrested individuals, identified as Sanjay, a resident of Gayatri Layout, Ramasandra, Anand from Manganahalli Cross, and Hanumantu from Ramadurga taluk in Raichur district, were found in possession of ₹2.40 lakh in cash, gold chains, and mobile phones.

The West Division Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), S. Girish, revealed that an ongoing investigation is underway to locate another absconding accomplice named Thimma.

New Year horror: Bengaluru businessman kidnapped, extorted money; body found devoured by wild animals

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The arrests follow a recent incident where miscreants attempted to kidnap blacksmith worker Kishan Kumar to extort money. Fortunately, Kumar managed to escape from the abductors and promptly reported the incident to the Gnanabharati police station. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Sanjay's gang, facilitated by technical information and thorough interrogations.

Background:

The trio—Sanjay, Anand, and Thimma—had been childhood friends, while Hanumantu, who came to the city for plaster work, became acquainted with Sanjay at his garage. Sanjay, the alleged mastermind, hatched a plan to kidnap and extort money from affluent customers leaving their bikes for service. Victims, including Kishan and Gurusiddappa, were abducted separately within a week. While Kishan managed to escape, Gurusiddappa tragically lost his life in the hands of the assailants.

Interestingly, the criminals targeted Kishan under the assumption that he was the owner of the bike service, Sanjay Pandit, due to a mistaken identity. The accused demanded ₹4 lakh from Kishan but settled for ₹10,000 upon realizing he was a worker, not the owner.

Frustrated by the lack of success with Kishan, Sanjay's gang proceeded to kidnap Gurusiddappa, an automobile shop worker. After demanding and receiving ₹5 lakh from Gurusiddappa's wife, the criminals, fearing reprisal, murdered Gurusiddappa and disposed of his body in Thimmappaswamy hill in Kootagal village, Ramanagara taluk. Gurusiddappa's disappearance was reported by his wife on the same day.

Following the gruesome incidents, the accused used the ill-gotten gains to celebrate the New Year in Goa before visiting Dharmasthala. On January 3rd, they returned to Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the Jnanabharati police, connecting the dots between the two cases, launched an investigation that revealed the same group's involvement. The team tracked the suspects by examining the mobile call records of Pandit and Gurusiddappa, leading to the eventual arrest of the culprits.

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It was disclosed that, before Gurusiddappa's murder, the criminals engaged in a drinking party with their victim. After collecting the ransom, they lured him under the pretext of another celebration on Kootagal Hill before committing the heinous act. Unfortunately, Gurusiddappa's remains were later consumed by wild animals.

DCP S. Girish emphasized that the accused, although not professional criminals, committed these acts solely for monetary gain. The police are now investigating any potential links to similar abductions in the past.

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