Bengaluru, February 18 Three men were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a spa owner and demanding a ransom of ₹2 lakh, police said on Wednesday.
The case came to light on February 15 after the manager of a spa in Akshayanagar, Begur, filed a complaint at the Electronic City police station.
According to police, the accused targeted the victim to recover money that one of them had allegedly misappropriated from apartment funds and later lost in online gaming.
In his complaint, the manager said that after closing the spa, he and the owner were heading home on a two-wheeler. While travelling on Arena Sports Road near Bettadasanapura, a car intercepted them.
The accused allegedly abused them and assaulted the manager with deadly weapons before forcibly kidnapping the spa owner in their car, police said.
They later called the manager and demanded ₹2 lakh as ransom, threatening to kill the victim if the money was not paid.
On the evening of February 17, police traced the accused to a deserted area near a petrol bunk on S Bingipura Road and rescued the spa owner. The three accused were apprehended, a senior police officer said.
During interrogation, it was revealed that one of the accused had been working at an apartment in Gottigere and had misappropriated apartment funds, which he later lost in online gaming.
In an attempt to cover the loss, he allegedly assumed the spa owner had money and, along with his associates, planned the kidnapping to demand ransom.
Police seized the car used in the crime, deadly weapons, three mobile phones, and ₹9,700 in cash from their possession.
The accused were produced before a court on February 18 and remanded to police custody for further investigation, police added.