Five arrested for kidnapping, torturing a student for extortion

Police said the accused forced the victim into the car and took her to the hotel room. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Soladevanahalli police have arrested five persons, including students and employees of private firms, for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a 19-year-old student to extort money from him.

The accused have been identified as Dikshith Gonzales, Dikshith, Shashank, Swaroop and Narasimha. They were charged with unlawful assembly, kidnapping for ransom, voluntary bodily harm with dangerous weapons, criminal intimidation and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the police, the case came to light after the victim’s mother Anet Vinaya Sequera filed a complaint at the police station on May 23.

In her complaint, she alleged that her son Steev Aron Raj was called by his friends — Dikshith Anthony Gonzales, Dikshith, Swaroop, Akash and Shashank — near a roadside dhaba on Hesaraghatta Road on May 22 around 3.30 pm on the pretext of discussing a vehicle-related issue.

On reaching the spot, the accused allegedly took the victim’s bike key and mobile phone and demanded ₹10,000 from him. After pressure from the accused, the victim’s friends allegedly transferred ₹9,000 to the bank account of one of the accused, identified as Swaroop.

Police said the accused later forced the victim into a car and took her to a hotel room in Ganapathinagar around 5.15 pm.

In the cottage, the accused allegedly consumed alcohol, stripped the victim naked, filmed videos with him and assaulted him. The victim was also kicked and threatened, with the accused allegedly demanding ₹100,000 from him.

Failing to secure the money, the victim was later taken towards Nelamangala. The accused allegedly stopped near the dhaba around 10.30 pm, had dinner and again threatened the victim and demanded ₹30,000 for his release.

Acting on a complaint, the Soladevanahalli police tracked down and arrested five accused on Monday. Further investigation is underway.

The probe revealed that the victim was allegedly dating and harassing the sister of one of the accused. Enraged by this, the accused along with his associates planned to teach him a lesson.

Published – 26 May 2026 20:58 IST