A gang allegedly kidnapped Mohammad Imtiaz, a textile businessman and a Sri Lankan, from his house in Seven Wells on Tuesday and demanded 1 crore as ransom. The abductors set him free the same evening soon after his wife approached police.

According to Imtiaz’s statement, he was alone at home on Sadayappa Street on Tuesday morning when four men knocked on the door. They said they wanted to discuss about a business deal and he went with them in their SUV. There were two others, including the driver, in the vehicle when Imtiaz got in. 

When they reached Mint, the men sitting next to him attacked him, Imtiaz said. Then they drove to several places which Imtiaz said he couldn’t recall. They apparently took him to a place near Red Hills from where they called his wife Inur Razak, who had gone to Sri Lanka to meet her parents, and demanded 1 crore to release him. 

The frightened woman rushed back to the city in the evening and immediately lodged a complaint with police. A short while later, she received a call from her husband who said he had been freed and that he was in Red Hills. Then, he picked up a vehicle and returned home. 

The Seven Wells police registered a case and are questioning Imtiaz. “We are not convinced with what he has said. The statement he made to the investigation officers appears to have a few holes and we are investigating,” a police officer said. 

Special teams have been formed to trace the kidnappers. “We are also trying to trace Imtiaz’s location using the mobile phone tower,” the officer added. (TNN)