Nadapuram police have arrested Ajnas, who was kidnapped by a quotation gang in Kozhikode on February 19, in connection with a gold robbery case. The 30-year-old Perambra native and his friends were returning from a volleyball match when a criminal group kidnapped him.
The gang is said to have attacked the group and pushed Ajnas into an unlicensed Innova car. According to sources, Ajnas’ name had already been named in the gold robbery case. While his friends said they received a ransom call from the gang, the case took a turn when Ajnas, who was freed by the gang, appeared before the police later in the day.
Yesterday, a 32-year-old woman who was kidnapped from Mannar in Alappuzha was found in Palakkad later in the day. She was abducted from her house during the wee hours of Monday. Bindu, an accountant at a supermarket in the Middle East, had returned from the Middle East four days ago. According to her family, the gang, who were carrying weapons, entered through the gate and rang the bell. The gang is said to have forcibly broken down the door and carried Bindu away. The latter’s mother was injured during the incident.
According to her family, Bindu was supposedly under observation by the gang. Her husband Binoy said that unknown visitors had dropped by their home asking about the whereabouts of the gold. She is also said to have received phone calls asking the same. When she denied knowledge of the matter, they cut the call stating it was a wrong number.
However, police say that Bindu has links with a gold smuggling racket. According to the officials, Bindu had transported 1.5 kilogrammes of gold from Dubai via the Maldives as instructed by the gang. Bindu told the police that she had discarded the gold at the airport, as she feared being caught by officials. The gang had abducted her demanding the gold or money worth its value. Bindu told reporters that four men had abducted her in a car, and they kept asking about the gold and its worth in money. She reportedly claimed that she did not know whether the kidnappers had a connection with the gold smuggling racket she is caught in.
A team led by the Chengannur SP will be investigating the case. Meanwhile, Peter, a Mannar native has been taken into custody in connection with the incident. The police said that Peter, who is in custody, although not part of the kidnapping team, abetted them.
