Financial dispute: Abductors release private firm employee in Palakkad

Kochi: Abductors released a 34-year-old man who was allegedly kidnapped from the parking lot of a private hospital earlier, on the road near a mall in Palakkad on Friday. The man, Sudheer, originally from Thalassery in Kannur, was working as a driver at a private company here. According to police, he was abducted by a group of three on June 1 night. They later contacted his employer and demanded ransom. Based on his mother’s complaint, Cheranalloor police had registered a case and launched an investigation. Shameer, 40, Ajeesh, 40, and two other unidentified individuals were named as accused in the case. Sources said that the complaint from Sudheer’s mother mentioned a financial dispute between the suspects and the employer of the company where Sudheer works as the reason for the abduction. After receiving information about abductors releasing Sudheer, a police team has set out for Palakkad to bring him back. A detailed investigation is ongoing, police said.