Vizag hotel management student rescued in Bangkok

"The 22-year-old youth identified as Srinivas Rao had applied for the post of Ship Cruiser in August after he came across an online advertisement allegedly posted by Bangkok- based commission agent Jimmy Gupta under shipping agency Overseas Bizz Group," Vizag Police Commissioner J Purnachandra Rao told reporters today.

Srinivas' senior Gotipatti Manmadha Rao allegedly introduced him to Gupta and took Rs two lakh from him while promising a job on an Australian ship on monthly salary of Rs 96,000.

The ordeal for Srinivas beagan when he landed on Bangkok Airport on August 28 and met Gupta who handed him over a fake Australian work visa, Rao said.

However, suspecting that something was amiss, Srinivasa refused to work on the Australia vessel as asked by Gupta. Fearing that Srinivas might expose him, Gupta and three others abducted him on August 28 and demanded USD 25,000 in ransom for his release from his father, he said.

Srinivas's father Hanumantha Rao deposited Rs 1.3 lakh in an account in name of one S Maheswari as asked by Abilash Elangovan of Chennai and Gotipatti Mammadha Rao of Vizag---both members of the gang, Rao said.

However, the abductors sought another Rs 12 lakh on September 3 following which Hanumantha Rao approached local police on September 4.

The Cyber Crime Cell then alerted the Indian Embassy, Interpol, CID and other agencies. Based on the IP address, Thailand police nabbed Gupga, B Sharma, Piyush Thanki and Rammonthi Yitmsir and rescued Srinivas on September 7.

He landed in India on October 12 from Bangkok.

During the course of investigation, city police arrested Abilash Elagovan and Gottipati Manmadha Rao who had forwarded the fake e-mail sent by Gupta to Srinivas.

Police also recovered Rs 1.3 lakh from the duo.