‘They’d have killed me’: How UAE-based Indian expat businessman survived terrifying Kerala kidnap

Dubai: A UAE-based Indian expat businessman, who was rescued by police after a high-stakes kidnap ordeal in the south Indian state of Kerala, has revealed the motive and how he feared for his life and survived the 39-hour horror.

“They would have killed me if the police were half an hour late in saving me,” recalled VP Shameer, who was rescued by Kerala Police on Thursday in a cross-district operation involving a high-speed car chase and a foiled border escape attempt.

As reported earlier, Shameer was abducted around 7.45pm on Tuesday from near his house in Pandikkad in Malappuram district and was finally rescued around 300km away in Kollam district at around 11am on Thursday. Police have so far arrested 11 people, including a former employee of Shameer’s Sharjah-headquartered pharmacy chain.

Speaking to Gulf News on Monday, Shameer, who also runs other businesses in the UAE, revealed that the ransom amount demanded by the gang was Dh1.5 million, not Rs10.5 million as initially reported by some Malayalam media outlets which was also quoted by Gulf News.

The abductors had reportedly called his business partner in the UAE demanding the amount and had also threatened his wife against going ahead with a police complaint.

Shameer claimed the kidnap episode was linked to a dispute over a restaurant in Dubai in which he had previously invested.

Recounting the horror of the film-style abduction, the father of three said, “I thought I would never see my family again. I was worried about the safety of my wife and children.”

He said he was especially concerned about his youngest child, one of his two daughters. “I was sure she would have been crying to see me.”

He said the first thing his daughter did after he reached home on Saturday was to pack his bag and passport, insisting they return to Dubai and never come back to Kerala.

“But I owe my life to Kerala Police, and I assured her there is nothing to worry about now. I also went for a wedding, for which I had come down, yesterday (Sunday). I was supposed to return to Dubai today but had to postpone the trip due to the ongoing investigation.”

He recalled being intercepted by two vehicles just before reaching home on Tuesday night.

CCTV footage showed a Toyota Innova blocking his motorcycle. Shameer said it was followed by a second vehicle that cut off his escape.

“One of the men hit me and I fell. They then dragged me into the Innova. Inside, they kept hitting me. They even used a hammer to hit me. One of them looped a shirt around my neck and would tighten it every time I tried to resist.”

Shameer said the attackers demanded Dh1.5 million in ransom and insisted he withdraw the travel ban and arrest warrant issued in connection with a business dispute involving a restaurant in Al Barsha, Dubai.

The kidnappers allegedly switched off their phones and drove hundreds of kilometres, after briefly stopping and torturing him in Thrissur district where he saw around five more gang members. From road signs and bus markings, Shameer realised they were heading south.

“I realised we were moving towards southern Kerala,” he said.

By Wednesday morning, some of the captors switched on their phones and saw that news of the kidnapping had gone public.

“They panicked and hit me again for letting it become so public.”

The gang reportedly changed vehicles twice, continuing to negotiate with Shameer, who finally agreed to settle for Dh800,000.

“They first asked for eight cheque leaves and, then changed their minds and wanted cash. When I told them I’d have to return to the UAE to arrange that, they started to lose patience.”

According to Shameer, the men warned him they would kill him once they crossed into Tamil Nadu, assuming jurisdictional delays would buy them time.

“I was beginning to lose hope as we neared the border,” he said.

His rescue came on Thursday morning when Kerala Police intercepted the vehicles.

“They weren’t sure which car I was in, so they cut in front of one and stopped it. That’s when they arrested the men and freed me. They had given me a deadline of one and a half hours when we reached Kollam, where some more men joined. Had the police been even 30 minutes late, we would’ve crossed into Tamil Nadu, and they would have killed me.”

Shameer said the case began with a dispute over a restaurant in Al Barsha. “I am a pharmacist who came to the UAE in 2008 and started my business in 2012. I expanded the business and rebranded it as a group in 2019. I was not an expert in the restaurant business.”

Still, he said, he invested in the restaurant to help some jobless individuals. “However, they failed to provide the details of the accounts and finally we had to exit from the business and file a case.”

He said the court ruled in his favour and ordered compensation of Dh675,000.

“After that, they began threatening me to withdraw the case. Earlier this year, we secured a travel ban and arrest warrant after they failed to clear the dues and honour the court order.”

He alleged the accused had teamed up with a former employee of his pharmacy chain who was fired in 2022 for misconduct.

“It looks like they brought him in and then involved a few others. We were aware of their efforts to malign me. I received some threats even a few days ago. But I never thought it would lead to a kidnapping,” said Shameer.

According to him, between 16 to 20 people are likely involved in the kidnap and more arrests are expected.