Five men held for 'kidnapping' bizman in Mysuru
Mysuru (PTI): The Mysuru police on Monday said they have rescued a businessman, who was allegedly kidnapped by a gang for a ransom, and arrested five men in this connection.
Lokesh, a resident of Vijayanagar, who was involved in finance and real estate, was abducted on December 6, they said.
According to police, the prime accused, Santosh, had known Lokesh for the past three months and believed he possessed significant wealth. Acting on this assumption, he allegedly planned the abduction.
Citing preliminary investigation, a senior police officer said that Santosh was aware that Lokesh visited a club every day and allegedly took disadvantage of it.
Chilli powder was thrown into Lokesh’s eyes before he was forcibly taken away in a hired Tata Sumo. The kidnappers called one of Lokesh's friends and demanded nearly Rs 20 lakh as ransom.
Lokesh's wife grew suspicious when his phone was switched off and did not return home by 8.30 pm, said the police.
Based on her complaint, a kidnapping case was registered at Vijayanagar police station, police said.
Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said initial inquiry pointed to the involvement of someone known to the victim.
“We went to the scene of crime and found chilli powder and a bullet bike. So, we arrived at the conclusion that the victim was forcefully taken away,” she told reporters here.
She added that after sometime, the victim's wife received a voice note from Lokesh assuring her that he would be back home by 11.30 pm and that she need not worry. Later, Lokesh's friend received a ransom call from the kidnappers demanding Rs 15-20 lakhs.
“Whoever he (accused) had called, we tracked through that number and traced the location to Hampapura. Based on CCTV footage and technical evidence, we came to know that the accused had hired a Tata Sumo and taken him,” Latkar said.
Police formed five teams and, convincing the kidnappers that the money would be paid, they laid a trap and nabbed the suspects from K R Nagar and rescued Lokesh.
“The main accused is Santosh. The accused thought that the victim had a lot of money, so he tried to kidnap him. Within a few hours of kidnapping, we rescued the victim and arrested all the accused from K R Nagar,” the Commissioner added.
The arrested men, police said, are engaged in masonry and painting work. No physical harm was caused to the victim apart from the chilli powder attack during the kidnapping.
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
