Hanumakonda: The local police arrested on Sunday three members of a gang that kidnapped a minor boy for ransom. Within ten days of the kidnapping, the police rescued the child and recovered an auto-rickshaw, a knife, two petrol bottles and mobile phones from the accused.
Those arrested are: Puri Padma, wife of Bikshapathi (45), originally from Enugulagadda, Hanumakonda, currently residing in Illanthakunta (Karimnagar district), Puri Raju alias Naresh, son of Bikshapathi (25), also from Enugulagadda, currently residing in Chintiralya Colony, Aswapuram (Bhadradri-Kothagudem), Jetty Jyothi, wife of Gangaraju, from Regubelli (Bhadradri-Kothagudem). Another accused, Srikanth, is absconding.
At a press meet here, CI Macha Shiva Kumar explained details of the arrest. The main accused, Padma, was a daily wager who had worked for several years at a catering service run by Ramana in Brahminwada. To recover the money owed by Ramana, Padma plotted to kidnap a boy related to him, who was working for Ramana. She involved her sons Raju and Srikanth, along with Jyothi.
On July 4, the gang kidnapped the boy from Nayeem Nagar, Hanumakonda, forcing him into an auto, transporting him to Aswapuram village via Mulugu district. They made the boy call his mother, demanding Rs 12 lakh for his release, and threatened both her and Ramana, who is a relative.
To avoid suspicion, the gang moved the boy secretly between known associates’ houses in Aswaraopet, Kothagudem, Karkagudem and Mangapet. They beat him with sticks and threatened to burn with petrol and kill.
On Sunday morning, while traveling in auto via Mulugu Road and the ORR, they were intercepted by the police at Yadavanagar petrol pump during a routine vehicle check.
