The IX Additional District Judge court in Chittoor on Thursday sentenced 12 persons to life imprisonment, finding them guilty of kidnap, attempt to murder, extortion of money and related crimes against a quarry owner.
According to the Chittoor police, a gang of 12, led by local youth Rajesh, Murali, G.D. Naidu and Hemadri of Thambuganipalle of Bangarupalem mandal near Chittoor, had on January 5, 2016 kidnapped a granite quarry owner Bajalingam of Yadamarri mandal near Chittoor and demanded ₹2 crore ransom but settled for ₹50 lakh. Bajalingam’s son had paid the money to the gang at Moghili ghat section, 30 km from here, the same night and the hostage was released at a forest location. On being tipped off, police too arrived at the location but the four had managed to escape.
On February 2, the police teams formed by the then SP G. Srinivas had nabbed three of them – Murali, Hemadri and Rajesh – at Yadamarri on Chittoor outskirts and seized ₹30 lakh from them, in addition to two motorbikes, an SUV and some gold ornaments. Later, nine other accused, hailing from various villages around Chittoor, were nabbed over a period of six months. One of them was accused in the murder of his father.
