Land broker kidnapped for Rs 2.75 cr fraud, 5 arrested

Sudalaimuthu (44) of Gangai Amman Koil Street in Kallikuppam, Ambattur, stepped out on Friday after receiving a call about a monetary dispute. As he did not return, his wife Roja lodged a complaint at Tirumangalam police station, raising fear that he could have been 

kidnapped.

A team led by inspector Ravi combed the CCTV footage and found Sudalaimuthu boarding a car, which was traced in front of a house in Anna Nagar. When they went inside, the police found Sudalaimuthu confined. He was rescued and five men in the house were arrested.

Investigation revealed that Sudalaimuthu sold a 1.75-acre land in Red Hills to one Dhamodharan, a businessman, for Rs 2.75 crore three years ago. After Dhamodharan died a year later, his son Muthukumar recently verified the documents and found out that it was poramboke land.

When Muthukumar confronted Sudalaimuthu, the latter allegedly promised to return the money or find another property. As he delayed, Muthukumar called Sudalaimuthu on Friday and confined him at his office to threaten him. 

Muthukumar (41), and his accomplices Manojkumar (43), Moorthy (30), Suresh (35) and Senthil Kumar (35) were arrested. They were booked under Section 364A (kidnap for ransom) of IPC and remanded in judicial custody.