Kozhikode: Police have arrested a youth for holding a migrant labourer hostage at gunpoint at PC Mukku corner in Thamarassery on Friday. The migrant labourer, identified as Najmi Alam (19) from Bengal, was taken away by Binu, a resident of Tanduparakal in Nilambur, at 7:30 am under the pretext of cleaning the house.

Najmi shared that Binu took him to a rented quarter, threatened him at gunpoint, and forced him onto a motorbike. They travelled for about an hour along the Thamarassery-Mukkam road. Binu then stopped the motorbike and walked away. Upon his return, he had a bundle of currency notes in an envelope. They then travelled for another hour, after which the money was handed to a young woman.

Later, Binu went to a bar, bought two bottles of liquor and returned to the rented quarters in Pallipuram, Thamarassery, around 2:30 pm. As Binu said, Najmi called his friend and informed him that he had been taken hostage. Then Binu tied his hands and threw him on the ground. Then he tied Najmi’s hands and threw him on the ground.

Meanwhile, Najmi used his toe to send his location to his friend via cell phone. His friends reached the spot with the police. Najmi was rescued at 10 pm, and Binu was arrested. The motive behind the abduction remains unclear. Thamarassery Inspector O. Pradeep is leading the investigation.