Ooty police rescue kidnapped Kerala priest

Ooty: In cinematic style, police here zeroed in on a gang from Gudalur and rescued a priest, who was abducted on Monday night at Nilgiris. Joseph George (56), working as priest in Kottarakara area in Kollam district in Kerala, came to Thorappalli area at Gudalur in his car to attend to some private work on Monday.

A gang, which was following his movement there, moved in a friendly manner with him and at one point of time, after knowing particulars about him and his family, decided to abduct him. They successfully executed their plan, taking him on Monday evening in his car to a remote area at Devarshola near Gudalur.

After obtaining details about his family, they established contact with one of his brothers at Kollam using the priest’s mobile phone, and demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh for his release and threatened him that they would kill Fr. George if his family tried to inform the police about this.

The family members of Fr.George acted smart by secretly alerting the cops in Nilgiris.  They also established contact with the gangsters on Tuesday afternoon and promised them to hand over the money on Tuesday night.

When the gang asked Fr. George’s brother to come to a particular location in Devarshola in the dark hours of Tuesday, cops went along with him in the guise of his family members, nabbed the gang and rescued the priest.

Police sources said they have arrested a gang headed by one Aasaithambi, who is a functionary of Makkal Desam party, and seven others who were behind this kidnapping episode.