THE stunned owners of a Swanage garage feared they would be killed after being kidnapped and held for £300,000 ransom during a trip to India.

Kanapathipillai Thavarajah and his wife Salajah, who own The Triangle Garage, Victoria Avenue, were abducted shortly after their plane touched down at Chennai airport.

The British couple were held in captivity in a darkened room with little food for four days.

Their 25-year-old daughter, Dharshini, sparked the joint Chennai and Metropolitan Police investigation after receiving a telephone call ransom demand at her London home.

Indian police, working in conjunction with the Met's kidnap and specialist investigations unit, eventually traced the kidnap gang to a small village 100 miles from the couple's last known location.

So far eight people have been arrested in India and one 22-year-old man from Swanage.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of their ordeal, Mrs Thavarajah, 55, said: “We feared that they would kill us. All I could do was pray and lean on my husband for support.”

Her 59-year-old husband, who owns a supermarket in London alongside his Swanage business, said: “This is like a second life. I was not confident until I saw 15 to 20 policemen come to our rescue.”

Today, staff at the Triangle Garage told the Daily Echo the couple were shaken but otherwise OK, and would be visiting Swanage from their London home soon.

The Brits had flown to Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a wedding, before flying to India for a nine-day temple tour.

After landing at Chennai airport on May 29, they were lured into a vehicle they believed was a taxi then abducted. The kidnap gang reportedly snatched their phones and passports.

Chennai police, who believe the gang operated from London and India, sprang the couple after tracing phone calls to a village 100 miles from where they were abducted.

The Triangle Garage, which has now fully reopened, was cordoned off on Monday (June 3) by Dorset Police.

Scotland Yard said: “The investigation was led by the Chennai police with the MPS offering support to the family in London. The couple have now been rescued and are safe and well.

“We can confirm officers from the Metropolitan Police kidnap and specialist investigations unit have arrested a 22-year-old man in the Swanage area as part of ongoing enquiries.”