Hostage freed, seven arrested, one at large

Cracking the kidnap case of realtor P Lova Raju, the Chodavaram police on Tuesday arrested seven persons of the eight-member gang.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Cracking the kidnap case of realtor P Lova Raju, the Chodavaram police on Tuesday arrested seven persons of the eight-member gang. The police came to the conclusion that financial issues were the reasons behind the abduction.
The arrested have been identified as Y Jagga Rao, D Ramesh, K Bennibabu, T Sattibabu U Sivaprakash, M Chakravarthi and S Suresh and another accused G Apparao is at large.

Lova Raju (50), a native of Seethaiahpeta area of Butchaihpeta mandal in the district, was kidnapped on Feb 17. Based on the complaint of Raju’s brother-in-law Ch Pydikonda, Chodavaram police started investigation. On Monday night the police rescued Lova Raju and arrested the accused.

According to sources, Raju’s friend Y Jagga Rao hatched the plan to kidnap him with a criminal intention for ransom. On February 17, Jagga Rao called Raju and asked him to visit a site over a real estate deal near Narsipatnam. Believing him, Lova Raju had gone to Narsipatnam where he was kidnapped. Sources said that the abductors severely beat him up and took him to Chodavaram in a car and there he was held hostage in a room.
Then the kidnappers made a phone call to Raju’s brother-in-law Ch Pydikonda and demanded `5 lakh for release of Raju. On Feb 18, Pydikonda, who met two of the kidnappers, Siva Prakash and M Chakravarthi, told the latter two that he would manage to give only `2.5 lakh and also clicked their photos secretly and later approached the police.

Acting on the tip-off, the police on Monday evening nabbed Prakash when he went to a ATM to draw money. Soon the police rescued Lova Raju and nabbed other accused by night. However, one more accused is still at large. Police seized two cars, one bike, `6,500 in cash and mobile phones from their possession.
Sources said that Lova Raju had been making profits in real-estate business and Jagga Rao kidnapped Raju for easy money but they landed behind bars. Sources also said that Lova Raju has to clear some debts to Jagga Rao.

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