Police have arrested 16 people in the dramatic kidnap of a woman by a mob from her house on the outskirts of Hyderabad, hours before her engagement.

Rachakonda police on Friday night rescued the 24-year-old, who was kidnapped by a group of about 50 to 80 people after barging into her house at Turkayamjal in Adibatla.

The youngsters, most of them armed with sticks, stones and iron rods, entered the house and forcibly took away the dentistry student, whose engagement was scheduled later in the day.

The assailants attacked her father, relatives and neighbours, who tried to resist them. They also damaged the furniture and vehicles parked at the premises. The video of the attack went viral on social media.

Naveen Reddy, who was in love with the girl and claimed to have even married her, kidnapped her after her parents were preparing for her engagement with another man.

On a complaint by the girl's father Damodar Reddy, police registered a case of attempt to murder, kidnap, trespass and assault against Naveen Reddy and his associated.

According to Damodar Reddy, Naveen Reddy met her daughter at a badminton training camp in Bangalore. He alleged that Naveen Reddy had been allegedly harassing her for the last two years and had spread the word that he had married her.

The complainant told police that Naveen Reddy and about 50 others attacked her house on Friday. He said the attackers armed with iron rods and stones barged into the house and tried to kill her daughter and other family members.

Damodar Reddy alleged that Naveen Reddy attacked him on his head with an iron rod and when his relatives and friends came to his rescue, the assailants attacked them. "After the attack, they forcibly took away my daughter in a car," he said.

The girl's father said Naveen Reddy had been behaving like a psycho. He had spread the word among relatives and friends that he married her on August 27, 2021. He had filed a petition in a court in LB Nagar that his wife's parents are not sending her home.

Police said a case has been registered against Naveen Reddy and others at Adibatla police station under Rachakonda police station in connection with Friday's incident.

A police officer said they were scanning the CCTV footage to identify and arrest other accused in the case. (SJ/IANS)