Five members of a gang, including a relative of the victim, were apprehended for the alleged kidnapping of a software engineer, as announced by Cyberabad police on Sunday.
The arrested individuals, involved in 23 cases across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, include Gunjapogu Suresh, Ballipara Venkata Krishna, Gurram Nikitha, Ramagalla Raju, and Shinde Rohith. Nikhita and Venkata Krishna are from Andhra Pradesh. Two other suspects, Chandu and Venkat, are currently at large.
The gang specialized in conspiring with associates of the victims and demanding ransom. Suresh, with a criminal history dating back to the age of 16, formed the gang for crimes ranging from theft to robbery and kidnapping for ransom.
Nikitha, the cousin of victim Gurram Surender, suggested kidnapping Surender for ransom, and the gang executed the plan on January 4. Nikitha filed a false complaint at Raidurgam police station, feigning assistance while the gang demanded a ransom of Rs 2 crore, later reducing it to Rs 20 lakh.
Police tracked down the victim in Kadthal, Rangareddy district, leading to the arrest of the gang members. Confessions during questioning revealed the extent of their criminal activities. Two four-wheelers, two two-wheelers, and seven cell phones were seized by the police. Two accomplices remain fugitive.
