Tamil rapper Dev Anand kidnapped at knifepoint, Chennai police suspects money disputes

Popular rap artist Dev Anand was kidnapped at knifepoint on Wednesday, according to reports. Chennai Police suspect that the kidnapping took place due to money disputes. Dev Anand had allegedly taken loans to help his brother carry business in the state.

3 things you need to know

• Dev Anand is a Tamil rapper hailing from Madurai, who is quite popular on social media.
• He and his brother had started their own business venture.
• Dev Anand was travelling back from a music event when he got kidnapped. 

Possible reason for kidnapping

The rapper had allegedly borrowed a sum of Rs 2.5 crore from about five people, say police sources. The loans were taken to invest into the business that Dev and his brother had started together. Police sources say that the lenders had been trying to get their money back for a long time. However, after a point, Dev Anand stopped responding to their calls and went into hiding.

How it all went down

On Wednesday, as a part of World Music Day, Dev Anand is said to have been participating in music events in Chennai city. While he was returning in a car with his friends, a 10-member gang stopped the vehicle and kidnapped him at knifepoint. Three of Anand's friends, Kevin (23), Clubbon Girish (30) and Mohammed Ibrahim (34), who had been travelling in the car with Anand, narrated the incident to the police.

The incident reportedly took place near Velappanchavadi, on the Chennai - Bengaluru highway. A formal missing complaint was also lodged with the Thiruverkadu police, by Dev Anand’s family. Following the complaint, police began investigating the matter. CCTV footage and witness statements are currently being gathered by the police.

A known enemy?

According to sources the family attempted to contact Dev Anand and apparently managed to do so as well. When contacted, the rapper supposedly admitted that he had been kidnapped by the people from whom he had borrowed money. Dev Anand had also assured his family that he was safe.