Four arrested for abduction of 17-year-old boy

Muthialpet police have arrested four men in connection with abduction of a 17-year-old boy from Mannady after he got acquainted with them on social media.

Police sources said the boy had completed plus two recently and got acquainted with a few men on Instagram, the police said. Under the pretext of meeting him in person, the boy was asked by them to wait near a tea shop in Mannady on Wednesday. As he was waiting there, a group of four came in an auto rickshaw and allegedly forcibly took him with them. He was taken to a secluded place where he was assaulted demanding Rs 1 lakh and gold jewellery. As the boy said he did not have that much, the gang asked him to arrange it in a few days’ time. Then they abandoned him.

On returning home, he told his father about what transpired, and he in turn lodged a police complaint. After analysing the CCTV footage at the place of occurrence, police arrested one Vasanthakumar, 31 on Thursday. Based on his confession, the police arrested A. Esa alias Ananth, 21, P Vijayakumar 29, and R Raja Ranjith 31 on Friday.