The police on Monday foiled an attempt to kidnap a 30-year-old woman on her arrival at the Nedumbassery airport from the United States and arrested three persons in this connection.
The arrested have been identified as Martin, 37, a native of Chalakkudy, Sinto, 27 and Akhil, 21. Police are on the lookout for two others in this connection.
Officials said the incident took place at around10.30 p.m on Sunday after the woman landed at the airport by an Air India flight from the U.S via New Delhi.
“The woman, along with her sister, was on her way to their ancestral home in Mallapally, Pathanamthitta and as their car approached the CIAL Golf Club, a five-member gang blocked the vehicle and dragged the woman to another car parked on the roadside’’, police said.
After the woman’s parents identified Martin, they immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the spot.
On reaching Athani junction on NH 47, the kidnappers shifted her to another car and proceeded towards Chalakkudy. Later, Martin and Anju got into a Karanataka-registered taxi car and proceeded to Tamil Nadu via Palakkad. The taxi driver, Shinz, however, grew suspicious over Martin’s behaviour and refused to speed the vehicle and even stopped it at some points. Finally, the police traced the vehicle near Palakkad, where Martin surrendered before the police.
“The goons were traced from their homes’’, said PP Shams, Dy.SP of police, Aluva.
The woman was carrying a handbag containing money and jewellery. However, she later gave a statement that she had been abducted against her will and was later freed.
During interrogation, Martin said he had an affair with the woman for about seven years while working in Kuwait. “They, however, broke up about four months ago after the woman’s parents brought her a marriage proposal’’, officials said.
Following this, the woman quit her nursing job and returned to the U.S. Martin came to know about her arrival in Kochi through a relative and sought help of the four goons for the abduction.
Anju is slated to marry a New Zealand resident on August 13. The accused were produced at the Angamaly Judicial First Class magistrate and remanded in custody.
During interrogation, the accused said he had an affair with the victim for seven years while working in Kuwait.
