Brave sexagenarian escapes from kidnappers

The 68-year-old realtor manages to flee as abductors fall asleep; narrates the tale of his ordeal to the police

Hyderabad: The 68-year-old realtor who was kidnapped on Saturday morning managed to escape from their clutches by the same night. They had allegedly demanded Rs 20 crore as ransom. Out of seven kidnappers, six were speaking Hindi in Bihari slang and took him to an isolated structure in Toopran in Medak district.

According to the victim Ch Anthaiah, on Saturday morning (at about 7.30 am), he was returning home in Chaitanya Nagar in Vanasthalipuram after buying household items from a nearby shop. On his way home, he was intercepted by a man who addressed him as ‘uncle’, pretending to seek some address. However, when Anthaiah reached near a parked car, the man opened the door of the car and pushed him inside, while another man who was inside the car pulled him inside. Both were speaking Hindi in Bihari slang and when the victim tried to escape, they held him tight. Immediately the driver started the car and when Anthaiah started questioning about their behaviour, they blindfolded him. “I raised my voice and felt suffocated, but they persisted and kept me blindfolded. Even when I questioned them, they did not reveal anything,” said the realtor, who earlier served as sarpanch of a village in Nalgonda district.

After taking him to an undisclosed location near Toopran, the Bihari men waited for ‘boss’ to arrive at the place.

Even as Anthaiah remained blindfolded, a voice familiar to him (in Telugu) said, ‘How are you Mr Anthaiah and how are your properties’. To Anthaiah’s astonishment, he also listed out the locations of his properties, as if the suspect was monitoring the realtor for several years. The suspect later demanded Rs 20 crore as ransom from Anthaiah to free him. However, the realtor offered him to register some of the properties under in his name in the place of money, given the strict provisions post-demonetisation.

Anthaiah remained blindfolded and without water till 5 pm in the evening on Saturday. He was again asked to provide cash, this time Rs 4 crore. Later, after he failed to yield to their demands, he was taken upstairs. “By 9 pm the Biharis who kept an eye on me fell asleep, after having their dinner. Even as they were in sound sleep, I escaped from their clutches and walked more than a kilometre to find the highway. I walked to a nearby hotel and fell unconscious. Later I was helped by the people there who provided some tea and snacks and I reached home by midnight,” he added.

According to sources, the Vanasthalipuram police identified the culprits and took two of them to their custody and also questioned Anthaiah about his dealing with his detractors, particularly about a property issue in Amangal.

Truck turned turtle; One dead, few injured
Hyderabad: A laborer from Assam died on the spot and five others sustained injuries after a truck carrying them overturned at Tharamathipet junction at outer ring road under Abdullapurmet police station limits on Sunday evening. According to police, the truck which was proceeding from Ragannaguda to Medchal, upon reaching the Tharamathipet hit the divider and overturned. As a result Deepmoll (22), a resident of Jeedimetla and native of Assam died on the spot. While other five who were travelling with him received injuries and were shifted to a private hospital. A case had been registered and the body was shifted for post-mortem..

Man held for rape
Hyderabad: A 35-year-old woman lodged a complaint against her paramour for raping her minor daughter and threatening to marry her. The accused was taken into custody by Pahadi Shareef police on Sunday. According to police, the woman, a native of Uttar Pradesh developed acquaintance with Jayaveer (21), a native of Madhya Pradesh, while working as labourers which led to illicit relationship. Blinded by new found love, she moved to Vijayawada with him, along with two of her younger children a year ago. However, she returned to Hyderabad and started staying along with all four children at Sriram Colony in Jalpally. Jayaveer also returned and this time he developed interest in her elder daughter the 15-year-old girl which was abhorred by her mother. Undeterred Jayaveer on several occasions also coaxed the girl and raped her. Later, he put forward his demand and asked the woman to give her hand in marriage. Disgusted by his behaviour, the mother lodged a complaint with the Pahadi Shareef police on Saturday. The police registered a case against accused and took him into custody.

Retired cop’s body found
Hyderabad: A 59-year-old retired constable’s body was found lying near a railway track between Budwel and Falaknuma stations on Sunday. A missing case was reported on January 12 by his relatives, after he left for walking and never returned. According to the Railway Police of Kachiguda, Ghouse Mohiuddin left his house in Shastripuram Colony under Mailardevpally police station limits at around 4 pm on January 12. But he failed to return by the evening prompting his kin to lodge a complaint. However, his body was found near railway tracks at Vattipally crossing. “His body was found lying under a culvert and a case of suspicious death was registered. The body was sent to post-mortem to Osmania Hospital,” said M Niranjan Naik, head constable of Kachiguda police station.

Suspicious death of IIIT student
Hyderabad: A PhD student of IIIT (International Institute of Information Technology), Hyderabad, died under suspicious circumstances, after consuming unknown pills at his campus hostel in Gachibowli. According to the police, N Raghuram, 26, a first year PhD student and resident of Vanasthalipuram, as part of self-medication, consumed some unknown pills and informed his friends after he started feeling uneasy on Saturday afternoon. He was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Camp making oil from animal carcass raided
Hyderabad: The Hayathnagar police on Sunday raided a camp in Pasumamula village, which stockpiled animal bones and other remains, seized oil cans and other material along with a truck loaded with animal carcass. The police took into custody two labors working for a businessman, indulging in making oil from the animal remains. Local veterinary doctor accompanied the policemen during the raid to verify, the kind of material was being used in the oil making. During the investigation, it was found that this isolated place was secretly making the oil for the past few months.