5 abduct businessman’s son outside east Delhi school, held

QUICK ACTION Police rescue 12yearold within 67 hours of receiving the complaint; accused had demanded ₹2 crore as ransom Prime accused Raja and a minor were working at the boy’s father’s shop... They quit their jobs almost a fortnight ago and went to Allahabad where, along with the other accused, they allegedly planned it. VAIBHAV KRISHNA, SSP

GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad police on Saturday rescued a 12-yearold boy who was allegedly kidnapped by five persons, including a minor, from outside his school in Mayur Vihar’s Phase III. The police said the accused allegedly demanded a ransom of ₹2 crore from the boy’s family.

The accused were identified as Raja Gaur, Karan Yadav, Akash Chaudhary, Ravi and a 17-yearold. Karan and Ravi are from Allahabad, police said.

The arrests were made from Ghaziabad’s Khoda area where the accused had allegedly rented a room in Vandana Enclave for ₹3,000 a month before the kidnapping. They allegedly brought the boy to the room on Friday afternoon.

“Prime accused Raja and the minor were working at the shop of the boy’s father and knew him well. The plan was allegedly hatched by Raja, who is from Assam, to make a quick buck. He and the minor quit their jobs at the shop almost a fortnight ago and went to Allahabad where, along with other accused, allegedly they planned the incident. They came to Delhi two days ago,” Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, said.

“They hired a room in Khoda with the help of Akash who works at a cellular company’s call centre in Noida. The accused allegedly kidnapped the child from outside his school in Mayur Vihar’s Phase III after school hours. The child was allegedly brought to Khoda where the police raided their hideout when they received information,” SSP Krishna said.

The police said the men had allegedly planned to flee to their respective home towns and had planned to distribute the ransom money among them.

Police sources said that a local in Khoda informed them about the suspicious movements of five men with a child who had a school bag, following which the Khoda police carried out a search and nabbed two of the accused. Further arrests were made Friday night.

The police said that further investigation in the case will be conducted by the Delhi police as the boy’s father had lodged a case at the New Ashok Nagar police station.

“The boy did not reach home after school got over on Friday. I received the first call around 4.35pm. The caller demanded ₹2 crore, failing which they threatened they would kill the child. They asked me to deliver the money near ISBT Anand Vihar. I told them that I don’t have so much money but they insisted on me arranging it. After the first call, I informed the Delhi police,” the boy’s father, Ajay Kumar Gupta, a resident of New Kondli, said.

He said that Raja had joined him two-and-a-half months ago and had left the job around 10-12 days back.

“A day after he left, the minor (accused) also quit. On Friday evening, I received another ransom call. Around 8.15pm, I received news that two men were picked up by the police and my son was rescued. However, the others continued to call me, demanding ransom. They too were arrested,” he added.