Karnataka Doctor Kidnapped For Rs 6 Crore Ransom, Released With Rs 300 To Get Back Home

A paediatrician working at the Ballari district hospital in Karnataka was kidnapped on Saturday, with a ransom of Rs 6 crore demanded from his brother, police reported.

The doctor was later released, and the kidnappers gave him Rs 300 to help him return home, reported the Indian Express.

Dr Sunil, 45, was out for a morning walk near the Shaneshwara temple in Suryanarayanapet around 6 am when a gang arrived in a Tata Indigo car, forced him into the vehicle, and sped off, a police officer stated.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV, according to the authorities.

Dr Sunil's brother, Venugopal Gupta, president of the district liquor dealers' association, received a WhatsApp call from the kidnappers, who demanded Rs 6 crore in ransom, with half of the amount to be paid in gold.

Gupta immediately contacted the police, who initiated search operations and blocked the district's exit points. However, by around 8 pm, the kidnappers released the doctor in a secluded location, giving him Rs 300 for a bus fare to return home.

"Dr Sunil was in a state of shock. Our manhunt to apprehend the kidnappers is ongoing. We are also trying to gather information from him. Given that his brother is involved in the liquor business, we are considering whether any business rivalry might have led to the kidnapping," a police officer commented.