Karnataka: Kidnapped by 5 men, VTU professor rescued in 2 hrs

Belagavi: A group of five members, including two employees of Visvesvaraya Technological University, kidnapped a special officer and a professor of VTU Sudheendra Dhulked early Friday and demanded a ransom of Rs 6 crore for his release. But the kidnap drama ended within two hours of police launching operation.

Dhulked, heading to VTU on his bike at 9.30 am, was intercepted by kidnappers at RPD Circle, Tilakwadi. They crashed their car into the bike and started a quarrel with Dhulked. The five men forced Dhulked into the car saying they all would go to Tilakwadi police station.

But they took him to Hannigeri village, Bailhongal taluk and confined him to a house. They demanded a ransom of Rs 6 crore and threatened to kill him if it was not settled. Even as the five continued to have discussions with the professor, the police had already launched operation to trace the kidnappers.

With the help of eyewitnesses, the police got the registration number of the kidnappers’ car and also found details of Dhulked from his bag left on his bike. Within two hours, the police traced the kidnappers to Hannigeri and caught three of them, before securing the release of Dhulked. Two other kidnappers are absconding.

Of the three arrested, Ashok Mattikoppa and Bheema Nayak are VTU employees. The police found that the kidnap drama was linked to a police case filed in Tilakwadi against 11 VTU officials, including Dhulked, last year.

In a complaint filed with Tilakwadi police, Mattikoppa had alleged that the 11 employees had collected Rs 6 crore from 300 employees of VTU to regularise their jobs. Mattikoppa had been demanding the money back, but Dhulked allegedly ignored him. Mattikoppa decided to kidnap Dhulked as a last-ditch attempt to get the money back, the police said.