11, including 2 cops, arrested for kidnap in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizag city police arrested 11 people, including a rowdy-sheeter and two police constables, for kidnapping 33-year-old realtor Koppoju Madhusudana Rao for ransom.
The accused have been identified as Kola Venkata Hemanth Kumar, a rowdy-sheeter under Bheemili police station limits in Vizag city, Jeereddy Appala Naidu, and Bimpolu Rambabu, police constables from Manyam and Vizianagaram districts, respectively, and eight others from Vizag, Anakapalle and Vizianagaram districts.
City police chief Ch Srikanth said Madhusudhana Rao is a real estate businessman and stock trader. Hemanth Kumar, posing as a realtor, met Rao in 2020. He told Rao that he has found a buyer for a villa owned by Rao and asked Rao to meet the buyer on February 15.
When Rao reached Balaji Bay Mount road in his car, he met the rowdy-sheeter and two others there. Then, all of them boarded another car. Later, the realtor was kidnapped by the rowdy-sheeter and accomplices while he was still in the car. The gang snatched one gold chain and four gold rings from Rao.
They took Rao to a layout on the outskirts of the city and the rowdy-sheeter demanded a ransom of 30 lakh to release him. Rao expressed his inability to pay the amount and transferred 4 lakh to the bank accounts of the accused.
Hemanth Kumar again demanded more money for his release. Rao managed to arrange 8 lakh by pledging the gold ornaments of his wife through a friend on February 16. The realtor managed to escape from the clutches of the kidnapper by assuring one of the kidnappers of some money by February 16 evening.
The investigation revealed that Hemanth Kumar was released from Central Prison in January on bail. He decided to kidnap some rich persons to extort huge amounts to meet his needs. Accordingly, he met his jail-mates, including constables Appal Naidu and Rambabu, who were serving jail term in a cannabis case.
In January, Hemanth Kumar met his associates again and discussed his plan to kidnap Rao.