After DGP felicitates probe team, officer says none held

: Two days after Jammu and Kashmir Police director general of police (DGP) Dilbag Singh appreciated the investigation team for their “professional efforts and commitment” in rescuing an abducted boy and arresting all the accused within a few days, a state police officer on Tuesday claimed no arrest had been made in the case.

Anirudh Sharma, a Class 5 student, was kidnapped by unidentified men on May 6 afternoon when he was returning home in Samba district from Army Public School at Kaluchak in Jammu district. The 10-year-old boy was “rescued” on May 8 from Chowadi area.

“No arrest has been made but we have rounded up around dozen suspects. We feel that five to six among them could be involved in the crime,” said the police officer, requesting anonymity.

“The identity of the accused has not been revealed as yet because one or two among them are still out of reach. If the names are revealed, it will make our task difficult,” he said.

The officer said that media would not have to wait for long and by Wednesday the police was expected to crack the case.

“Most likely we will divulge all the details by tomorrow (Wednesday). No ransom was paid to the kidnappers. Once missing links are established and all the accused are arrested, we will divulge the details,” he said.

Some media reports, attributing to unconfirmed sources, said Rs 50 lakh was paid as ransom by the family to the kidnappers before they abandoned the boy, who then was spotted by a religious leader on a road in Chowadi during early hours of May 8.

On Sunday, the DGP had rewarded the teams which investigated the kidnapping and the abortive Banihal terror attack cases in the state. The police personnel, who conducted the investigation of the cases, were also given commendation certificates and cash prize by the DGP at the police darbar.