A Hyderabad businessman returned home safely after he was allegedly kidnapped over a financial dispute, prompting a police search operation and the detention of suspects in the city. Jagadgirigutta police registered a kidnapping case after his wife reported that he had been taken by a group of five persons on October 7.
The victim, 38-year-old Ashok Reddy of Gajularamaram, runs a ready-mix concrete business. According to the complaint, he was allegedly abducted at about 9am shortly after dropping his children at school. A school van driver alerted his wife, Swathi, who went to the school and approached the police.
Police registered a case under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the same day and began searching for the businessman and those allegedly involved. Reddy later approached the police on Thursday night and said he had been released after the abductors noticed that officers were calling his mobile phone.
Reddy told police that he had been taken to a forest area near Jadcherla, where he was allegedly assaulted. He also alleged that the group made him sign blank bond papers. The account is part of the victim’s statement and is being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
Swathi told police that her husband had been involved in a dispute with a business associate, identified as Chandrasekhar, over losses in their business. She also alleged that unidentified people had been calling Reddy for several days, demanding money and threatening to kidnap the couple’s children if the payment was not made.
The case has brought a business-related dispute into a criminal investigation involving alleged abduction, threats and assault. Police are questioning the detained suspects and recording the victim’s statement before deciding on further legal action.
Quthbullapur Assistant Commissioner of Police AC Balagangi Reddy said some suspects were in custody and that investigators were questioning them. “We have some suspects in custody. We are recording the victim’s statement and questioning the suspects. Appropriate legal action will be initiated based on further investigation,” he said.
The police investigation will now establish the identities and roles of the alleged abductors, verify the victim’s account of the route and forest location, and examine the financial dispute cited in the complaint. Further action will follow based on the statements and evidence collected by the investigators.
