Pathanapuram: A man who claimed to be a movie scriptwriter was abducted by a three-member gang here on Saturday evening but was soon rescued as public alerted the cops on time.

Preliminary probe revealed that the crime was carried out by the lover of a wannabe actress along with his two friends.

The trio have been arrested and remanded.

The botched kidnap, which lasted for just three hours happened here in the Kollam district, was plotted by the lover apparently to protect her from the advances of the scriptwriter's friend.

It all began after the woman, an Adoor native, was picked to act in a film, which is scheduled to go on the floors in April. The purported scriptwriter of the film is a native of Pathanapuram in the district. Once the woman's role was confirmed, the scriptwriter's friend started calling her frequently.

When the phone conversations crossed the limits, the woman complained to her lover, who is also from her hometown Adoor. The couple also doubted if the scriptwriter himself was fake and if she was signed up with ulterior motives.

The lover and his two friends subsequently conspired to abduct the scriptwriter and question him. The lover was also probably apprehensive whether his girlfriend would leave him once she became an actress. This apprehension could have prompted him to break the law, the police said.

The trio reached the scriptwriter's house to carry out the mission around 6pm on Saturday, but could not find him. Without wasting time, they enquired about his whereabouts and found him. The trio forcefully took him in the car and sped towards the Adoor area. The local people, who came to know of the incident, however informed the police.

A probe led by Kollam (Rural) SP Harishankar with the help of the cybercell tracked down the gang at the High School Junction at Adoor around 9pm.