On December 13, Nair and three others forcibly took a city-based chartered accountant to Kerala and demanded a sum of Rs one crore as ransom from his family. A team from LT Marg police nabbed the accused red-handed at Kochi. While Nair and his fellow accused were sent to judicial custody, the Mulund police received a court order directing them to investigate a similar case against Nair, dating back to September last year.

According to Mulund police officials, Nair had taken a Mulund-based rubber merchant to Kerala and kept him in captivity for over 24 hours. Police sub-inspector Srirang Bhosale, Mulund police station, who is investigating the case said, “Umesh Thakkar, a resident of Mulund who runs a rubber business used to place orders with Nair but last year their business collaboration ran into problems with Thakkar alleging that Nair hadn’t made a delivery despite having taken Rs 10 lakh for it. In his complaint, Thakkar had stated that Nair had made an attempt to appease him by inviting him to Kerala.”

Thakkar and Nair left for Kerala on September 22. On September 23, Nair had allegedly taken Thakkar to his rubber plantation and escorted him to a hut where he and his goons gagged him and tied him up.

“Nair reportedly also fuelled the tempers of the plantation workers by telling them that Thakkar was refusing to pay for the stock that had already been supplied. As a result the workers didn’t question Nair’s actions. Thakkar’s inability to communicate in the local language alienated him further and delayed his rescue,” added Bhosale.

Nair also allegedly snatched Thakkar’s cell phone and left it at his house. However when Thakkar’s wife made frantic calls on the phone, Nair fearing police action took Thakkar to the local police station.