Man kidnapped near Thiruvananthapuram airport

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A man, believed to be a native of Tamil Nadu who had arrived from abroad was kidnapped by a gang near the Thiruvananthapuram airport early on Wednesday. Vanchiyoor police have initiated an investigation.

The incident took place around 1 am when the victim was travelling in an auto-rickshaw from the airport to Thampanoor. According to a statement given to the police by the auto-rickshaw driver, the victim had asked to be taken to the bus stop where he could get buses to Tirunelveli.

However, as they neared Sreekanteswaram, a swift car got in the way of the auto-rickshaw. Five men came out of the car and pulled the victim out of the auto-rickshaw. They assaulted him and drove away with him in their vehicle. Visakh, the auto-rickshaw driver, immediately informed the police.

“CCTV footage from the area has been retrieved and we are trying to track the kidnappers car to determine its direction. Preliminary investigations suggest that the car used by the kidnappers was rented,” said police sources.

However, the identity of the victim and the motive behind the kidnapping remain unknown.