Five-member gang held for abducting man from his home

COIMBATORE: A five-member gang kidnapped a 38-year-old man from his residence in Sungam in the city on Saturday. According to police, the gang assaulted the man for refusing to supply iron rods worth several lakhs of rupees.
The owners of the firm supplying iron rods notified the police about the kidnap. Subsequently, the man rescued at Race Course and the gang arrested.
The arrested include S Bhuvaneshwar, 26, S Karthikeyan, 30, P Kumanan, 38, G Balakrishnan, 33 and the driver Kannan, all members of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).
They had purchased iron rods from Ogun Steel Rolling Mills worth Rs11lakh. Since their business faced huge losses, they blamed the firm for providing substandard material and demanded a refund for purchases made.
When Ogun Steel refused to do so, the culprits threatened the owners for more than two weeks, said one police official on the case.
On Saturday, the gang barged into the house of S Venkatesh, 38, and kidnapped him. He was taken to a house in Ondipudur where he was threatened and assaulted by the gang for several hours.
They tried to persuade him to ask the owners of Ogun steel to supply another consignment of iron rods. “He called the owner as instructed and asked him to get a consignment ready for a particular client. Realizing that something was amiss and Venkatesh may be in trouble, the owner notified police,” said the official.
Police officials lured the gang to pick up the consignment from the firm’s head office located at Race Course and arrested them when they arrived.
Venkatesh has been admitted in Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital. A case has been registered against the VCK party workers.
On Saturday, the gang barged into the house of S Venkatesh, 38, and kidnapped him. He was taken to a house in Ondipudur where he was threatened and assaulted by the gang for several hours
VCK men kidnapped Venkatesh and demanded a refund for the consignment worth 11L bought from his firm.