Bengaluru: The police on Monday arrested eight people, including two women, for allegedly abducting and attempting to murder a local Dalit leader. The abduction took place in daylight.

According to police, R.K. Kuppanna, 40, president of J.D. Mara Slum Dwellers’ Association, was heading to a meeting on Sunday at around 11 am when he was abducted by a gang of six armed men on Bannerghatta Road. He told the police that he was taken to an isolated location on the outskirts of the city, where the gang planned to kill him.

Kuppanna escaped narrowly on the pretext of attending nature’s call. He requested the abductors to allow him to relieve himself and escaped from the abductors. Based on his complaint, the Kengeri police took up the case and within hours arrested the eight people.

M.N. Anucheth, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), said the prime accused Selvi, 40, who is a member of the association, planned the abduction so that she could get her hands on a plot of land at J.D. Mara locality.

According to police sources, Selvi contacted Kutty, a rowdy-sheeter, who has also been arrested, and offered him Rs 15 lakh to eliminate Kupanna.

Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Hemanth Nimbalkar has directed the jurisdictional police to start an area domination programme where the police have to keep tabs on troublemakers in their respective jurisdiction.