JOIN USSenior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa’s personal assistant on Thursday survived an abduction bid by five unidentified men.
The victim Vinay, sustained a fracture on his left hand and was hospitalised. The motive behind the attempt is yet to be ascertained, said police.
Vinay has been Eshwarappa’s PA for the past five years. He was returning home after visiting a friend’s house around 3 pm near the Mahalakshmi Layout Swimming Pool when a white SUV hit his car from behind.
“I heard a thud and stopped my car. I saw five men surrounding my car,” Vinay said. The suspects claimed that their SUV, a Mahindra Xylo, was damaged due to the impact. Before Vinay could reply, they grabbed him and tried to bundle him into their vehicle.
“They brandished lethal weapons and one of them assaulted me. Though I resisted, they overpowered me and forced me into their car,” he said. The victim claimed that the suspects were speaking in Kannada and were aged between 25 and 30 years. He also said he hadn’t seen them before.
A few locals gathered at the spot after hearing the commotion. The suspects pushed Vinay out of their SUV and fled.
Vinay claimed that the suspects may have followed him from his friend’s house. “I feel they followed me, but I didn’t observe them properly. I saw two men on two bikes with the SUV. They too fled with the five men,” he said.
Vinay was immediately taken to Columbia Asia Hospital for treatment. Vinay’s friends claimed the motive for the abduction bid could be political.
“I don’t think they attempted robbery since they didn’t take the watch, a wallet containing cash and a cellphone that I had,” Vinay said. Vinay says he is not involved in any disputes and doesn’t have rivals.
Police, who registered a case, have collected CCTV footage and have formed a team to trace the suspects.