Image credit : Illustrative image

Coimbatore: Police arrested six persons on Wednesday for kidnapping a businessman for a ransom of Rs 50 lakh on June 30.

Wholesale flower merchant G Vishnuraj was kidnapped by the six-member gang when he was on the way to his shop from his house on Lingappa Chetty Street on June 30.

The arrested were Santhosh, Prabhu, Dhinakaran, Nagaraj, Aravind and Hari from the city. According to police, Santhosh and Prabhu, who were earlier employed with Vishnuraj, hatched the plot as they were aware that he had sold his properties.

Along with their four friends, the duo planned to kidnap Vishuraj for a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. On June 30 around 3 am, the gang waylaid the merchant.

They later contacted Vishnuraj’s father Govindaraj over phone and demanded Rs 50 lakh and threatened murder if the money was not given. They also cautioned him against approaching the police.

However, Govindaraj made a complaint to the police who traced the gang and contacted them over phone. Enraged by the involvement of the police, the gang beat up Vishnuraj, took Rs 1.5 lakh he had then and escaped, abandoning him in near Trichy.

After Govindaraj received a call from his son, he rushed to Trichy.