Three persons, including the United Democratic Front councillor of Vathuthuruthy ward in Kochi Corporation, were arrested by the Elamakkara police on charges of abduction and extortion on April 8.
The arrested were identified as councillor Tibin Devassy, Fayas of Kasargod and Shameer of Kakkanad. They stand accused of extorting ₹2 lakh from a trader in Edappally besides forcibly securing an undertaking from him for another ₹20 lakh on Thursday evening.
A gang led by the accused allegedly beat up the trader at his office in Edappally and took him to his father-in-law’s workplace where again he was assaulted. The father-in-law reportedly made the bank transfer of ₹2 lakh.
According to police, Fayas and the trader has some financial transactions while doing business in the Middle East in the past. Fayas claims that the trader owed him about ₹40 lakh and Tibin, who is also the Youth Congress district secretary, allegedly agreed to get the trader to pay up.
Police have registered a case invoking IPC Sections 395 (dacoity), 363 (kidnapping), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 452 (house trespass), 143 (unlawful assembly), and 147 (rioting). The accuses were produced before the court and remanded.
