In a typical filmy style, a multi-lingual film actor was kidnapped by an auto driver and his two accomplices and relieved him of cash
and gold chain after assaulting him in the wee hours of today in Salem district.

The actor, Kottachi, who had acted in nearly 200 films in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu as comedian, reached Salem around 1 am after participating in a film shooting here, to go to Chennai, police sources said.

He hired an auto rickshaw to Omni Bus stand to take a bus to Chennai.

With two persons already in the vehicle, Kottachi was ‘really taken for a ride’and questioned over the delay in reaching the bus stand.

The duo sitting in the auto suddenly snatched his mobile, two sovereigns ofgold chain and cash. They then assaulted and dropped him at Kurangu chavadi area and sped away, they said.

Stranded at some unknown locality, Kottachi narrated the incident to passersby and managed to inform fellow actor, Benjamin in Salem, who arrived at the spot and took him to Pallapatty police station.

However, his struggle did not end there, as police refused to take complaint stating that the place of occurence came under the jurisdiction of Suramangalam station.

Subsequently, the cops at Suramangalam sent him back to Pallapatty again citing jurisdiction.

After shuttling between the two stations, Kottach managed to lodge a complaint at Suramangalam station around one pm today, sources said.

Police are investigating to trace the driver and his two accomplices involved in the kidnap and loot, they said.