17-year-old boy kidnapped after being extorted via Instagram by criminal gang in Chennai

Summary

A 17-year-old boy in Chennai was kidnapped after being contacted via Instagram by a gang that extorted him for money and valuables. The victim was approached by a minor who had previously been extorted by the group and was used to befriend the boy. The gang, identified as V Vasanthakumar (31), P Vijayakumar (29), A Ananth (21), and R Raja Ranjith (31), assaulted the boy and demanded Rs 1 lakh and 100 gm of gold. The incident occurred on Wednesday near Maduravasal Street after the victim met someone at a prearranged location. The police traced the Instagram contact, who was also a victim, and arrested the four individuals. They were remanded to judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate.