Bengaluru: Four including PSI, constable held in extortion and kidnapping case

Team Udayavani, Nov 21, 2023, 2:47 PM IST

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police have made a significant breakthrough by arresting four individuals, including a probationary PSI, a constable, and an ex-home guard, for their alleged involvement in aiding the kidnapping and extortion of a private company employee.

The arrested individuals, Probationary PSI Siddharudh Bijjannavar from Madiwal police station, Constable Allabhaksh Karajagi, ex-home guard Raj Kishore, and Dinesh from Bootapally, were taken into custody. The police seized cash and cryptocurrency amounting to Rs. 20 lakhs from the accused during the operation.

The incident dates back to June 7, 2022, when the victim, Karthik, an employee of a private company, was kidnapped. Karthik, a resident of HSR Layout, was involved in cryptocurrency transactions, receiving USDT from foreign companies, which his friend Vamshikrishna would exchange into Indian rupees for a commission. Due to a financial dispute, Vamshikrishna, along with associates Vinod Naik and Kiran, orchestrated Karthik’s abduction.

Probationary PSI Siddarudha, who was made aware of the situation, cooperated with the accused by threatening to register a case under the NDPS Act if they did not comply. The accused, in turn, extorted Rs. 1.56 crore worth of cryptocurrency and Rs. 20 lakhs in cash from Karthik’s wallet. Subsequently, they demanded an additional Rs. 60 lakhs. To avoid police detection, Karthik was released, and he later filed a complaint with Kadugondanahalli police station.

Vamshikrishna, Vinod Naik, and Kiran secured anticipatory bail upon learning of the investigation. However, the case was transferred to the CCB after the discovery of multi-crore transactions, leading to the recent arrests. The CCB’s investigation has uncovered the direct involvement of a probationary PSI, a constable, and a home guard in the extortion and kidnapping case.