UAE-Based Indian Businessman Kidnapped In Kerala, Ex-Employee Among Six Held By Police
Businessman VP Shameer was rescued by police after he was kidnapped in Kerala. Police suspect his former employee, Puthu Veettil Shamseer, is the mastermind behind the crime.
A UAE-based Indian businessman was kidnapped during his visit to Kerala, on Tuesday evening. Fortunately, he was rescued in time by police, who suspect his former employee is the mastermind behind the kidnapping, Hindustan Times reported.
According to Gulf News, the 36-year-old businessman, VP Shameer, was kidnapped at around 7:45pm on Tuesday while he was on his way back home. The assailants reportedly intercepted bike-borne Shameer in Malappuram, forcefully pulling him into a Toyota Innova.
Police Scan CCTV Footage
Soon after police received information about the crime, they launched an investigation. Acting swiftly, police scanned CCTV footage and used location tracking to trace the movement of the vehicle in which the man was pulled inside.
Early leads came from questioning those who had provided the car to the accused. The investigation then expanded to Kollam, where local police joined forces with their Malappuram counterparts after uncovering connections to acquaintances of the suspects in the district.
According to a report in Manorama, a key breakthrough came when Shameer's phone was switched on twice in Ernakulam, helping police narrow down his location.
On Wednesday, the kidnappers contacted Shameer's business partner in the UAE, demanding a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore for his release. Meanwhile, Shameer's wife received threat calls warning her not to involve cops.
On Thursday, in a joint operation, Malappuram and Kollam police rescued the man at around 11:30am. He was found inside a vehicle in Kuruvikkonam in Kollam as the kidnappers reportedly planned to move him across the border into Tamil Nadu.
Six Arrested
Subsequently, police made six arrests in the case. The arrested accused include Puthu Veettil Shamseer (30) – former employee and alleged mastermind–, Achikka alias Hamseer (30), Fayas alias Mustafa (28), Afzal (30) from Ponnani, Muhammad Naif (29) from Kollam and Shaheer (30) from Kollam.
According to police, the alleged mastermind had previously worked on over 50 business ventures with VP Shameer but was dismissed following internal disputes. His dismissal allegedly led to resentment, and he had earlier issued threats against the businessman.
Shameer Alleges Assault
VP Shameer, who operates a chain of pharmacy stores in the UAE, alleged he was assaulted during the abduction. He was to be taken for medical examination following his rescue.
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