Tainted cops arrested again for kidnapping

Coimbatore: A police inspector, who is already cooling his heels behind bars on charges of looting

hawala money

, was arrested again on Thursday for kidnapping a

Tirupur-based industrialist

.

A gang had kidnapped the industrialist in July this year. They demanded ransom and harassed him before letting him off. On investigation, the police found that the gang was led by former K Paramathi police station inspector Muthukumar.

Arumugam, 46, a native of Karaikudi, runs a dyeing unit in Tirupur. He resides on Kongu Main Road in Tirupur with his family. On July 15, 2016, when he was driving back home from his dyeing unit, a four-member gang waylaid and kidnapped him for ransom. Two of them were in police uniforms.

The gang took him to Salem and harassed him. When the gang realized that they won't get money from Arumugam, they robbed him of 15,000 in cash and a mobile phone. Subsequently, they abandoned him near a toll gate in Salem. Based on his complaint, the Veerapandi police registered a case.

Meanwhile, Muthukumar, sub-inspector Saravanan of Kulithalai police station and head constable Dharmendra were arrested by the Madukkarai police in Coimbatore district for their involvement in the dacoity of 3.90 crore last month.

Further, the police arrested three more people including A Sudheer, 36, of Guruvayur in connection with the case. During inquiry, the tainted police inspector confessed that he had kidnapped Arumugam.

The tainted police officers were lodged at the Coimbatore central prison. On Wednesday, the Veerapandi police took Muthukumar, Saravanan, Dharmendra and Sudheer from the central prison and produced them before a judicial magistrate court in connection with the case and remanded them in judicial custody. The four people were again taken back to Coimbatore central prison.