They allegedly abducted 2 students from Mysore and demanded ransom of Rs 5 crore to mobilise funds for the group

With the arrest of six members of a cultural organisation, the city police claim to have solved a case of abduction and murder of two BBM students of Mahajan College in Mysore. Karnataka Home Minister R Ashoka informed reporters that the six arrested were active members of the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) with branches in Mysore and Hunsur and planned to raise funds through the abduction of Sudeedra (21) and Vignesh (20).


Slayers: Cops have recovered two vehicles, a toy pistol, a gold pendant,
two daggers and six cell phones from the accused. Pic/Satish Badiger

Habitual offenders
The accused have been identified as Adil Pasha (23), a butcher, Ameen (23) and Rehaman (25), both wood polishers, Kouser (26), a contractor, Athaulla Khan (26), a cell phone technician and Saffeer Ahmed (34), an electrician. Acting state DGP S T Ramesh claimed that the accused were also involved in the 2009 communal riots in Mysore.

He said as per preliminary investigations, the six had demanded ransom to mobilise funds for the group. Ramesh added that the police would probe the role of the organisation and its activities. The two victims were abducted on June 8 and a ransom of Rs 5 crore was demanded for their release.

Brutal end
On June 11, the abductors allegedly took the students to Chikkaballapur and strangled them, stabbed them and then dumped their bodies on the roadside near Agalagurki village in the district. Ramesh informed that Adil Pasha and Athaulla Khan were also involved in four cases of murder and attempt to murder. Police said they have recovered two vehicles, a toy pistol, a gold Ganesha pendant, two daggers and six cell phones from them.