Four held for kidnapping teen via Instagram for extortion in Chennai

CHENNAI: The city police have arrested four persons for kidnapping a 17-year-old boy after contacting him through Instagram and threatening him to bring money and valuables from home at regular intervals.

The victim, who used to take Rs 500 from home to rent a bike and roam around the city, had shared it with his classmates, through whom one of the accused learnt of the boy’s activities and decided to extort him, police sources said.

The arrested persons were identified as V Vasanthakumar (31), P Vijayakumar (29), A Ananth (21) and R Raja Ranjith (31). The quartet had used another minor boy, whom they had extorted previously, to befriend the victim on Instagram and set a meet up.

On Wednesday, the victim who had recently completed Class 12 exams, borrowed a two-wheeler from a relative and went to the meeting spot near Maduravasal Street. While he was waiting, a man approached him and asked to be dropped at a location a few metres away and the boy obliged.

When he stopped near an autorickshaw, the pillion rider and those already waiting in the auto bundled him and took him to an isolated spot near the railway tracks. They assaulted him and demanded Rs 1 lakh cash and 100 gm of gold within a week.

Muthialpet Police traced the Instagram friend and learnt that he too was a victim of extortion by the gang. Through him, cops zeroed in on the gang and arrested the quartet. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.