Chennai, Feb 2 (IANS): The Tiruppur police arrested a gang for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a real estate businessman, who is also an assistant director in movies.

Sivakumar (52) of Tiruppur inherited huge tracts of land in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore and Tiruppur after his father, Ponnusamy Gounder died. His sister Ambika (48) requested him to put some of this property in her name, but Sivakumar refused and this led to enmity between the two families.

According to Tiruppur police, which is investigating the case, Ambika, her husband Velusamy, and her son Gokul along with a gang kidnapped Sivakumar a couple of days ago. He was taken to a place and asked to transfer some of the properties in the name of Ambika, but he again refused.

Police said that Sivakumar was then taken to an abandoned house and hung upside down and thrashed mercilessly by a gang of people deployed by Ambika and her husband.

Unable to bear the torture, Sivakumar signed in the property documents and transferred it to them. Police also said that an amount of Rs 1.5 lakh, of jewellery was taken away from him. He was then forced to drink liquor and he fell unconscious.

Sivakumar, according to police, found himself in a mental hospital in Bengaluru when he regained consciousness and he complained to doctors and nurses who helped him track his family. Sivakumar's family reached the hospital and took him back to Tiruppur.

A police complaint was lodged and police arrested Velusamy (Sivakumar's brother-in-law and the kingpin of the assault), his son Gokul, and three gang members, Riyaz Khan (36), Shahul Hameed (32) and Asraf Ali (26). His sister Ambika and two others are absconding and police said that they will soon be arrested.