Bengaluru, Feb 19: What began as a routine ride home turned into a terrifying ordeal for a 28-year-old spa owner in Bengaluru, who was allegedly kidnapped by three men seeking to recover money lost in online gambling.
Police on Wednesday said they had arrested Akshay (26), Manjunath alias Mantapa Manja (28), and Prajwal (28) for abducting Ashith Kumar Jha and demanding Rs 2 lakh as ransom. The trio, all residents of and around Bengaluru, have prior criminal records.
Investigators revealed that Manjunath, a facility manager at an apartment in Gottigere, had allegedly misappropriated maintenance funds and lost money in online gambling. In a desperate bid to repay the losses, he is believed to have hatched the kidnapping plan.
“One of Manjunath’s neighbours was a partner of the victim, Ashith Jha, who ran a spa in Akshayanagar. Since the neighbour was living lavishly, Manjunath assumed that kidnapping his partner would fetch him the money he needed to pay off the debts. For three days, the trio watched the victim and his movements,” a police investigator said.
The incident occurred around 9 pm on February 15. Jha, a native of Bihar who runs a spa in Akshayanagar, was returning home with his shop manager Manukumar when their two-wheeler was allegedly rammed by a car near Bettadasanapura. The attackers reportedly assaulted both men with weapons.
In the chaos, Manukumar managed to escape and alert the police — a move that would prove crucial. “They tied a cloth around Jha’s face and forced him inside the car. After Manukumar approached the police, a separate team was formed to investigate.
On Monday, Jha’s business partner, Prakash Mandal, got a call from Jha, saying he had to pay a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for his release, failing which he would be harmed,” a senior police officer said.
A second call followed on Tuesday evening, directing Mandal to drop the ransom near a coconut plantation. Acting swiftly, police laid a trap at the designated location and arrested Akshay when he arrived to collect the money. The arrests of the other two suspects followed soon after.
While Jha is now safe, the episode has left his family and associates shaken. Police said further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the accused’s activities.
