Bihar: Kidnapped boy rescued, 13 arrested

PATNA: The 11-year-old boy kidnapped for Rs1 crore ransom was recovered from Pachra Laxmipur Tariyani in Sheohar district on Wednesday. Police arrested 13 people, including the minor’s maternal cousin and son of a bank manager, for their alleged involvement in the case.
The boy, Chahat Kumar, was kidnapped from Jirati Tola under Sahebganj police station area in Muzaffarpur on Sunday while he was playing outside his residence.Kidnappers had made a ransom call of Rs1 crore to the family members the same day. Chahat’s mother Chinta Devi had lodged an FIR with Sahebganj police station on Monday.
Muzaffarpur SSP Jayant Kant said Chahat’s cousin Rohit Kumar had planned the kidnapping in connivance with the criminals. “One Abhinav Kumar was also involved in the kidnapping. He is the son of a manager of the Punjab National Bank branch at Paroo in Muzaffarpur,” he said.
The SSP said Manish Kumar, Guddu Kumar, Kavindra Kumar, Chotu Kumar, Rani alias Sanju Devi, Vilash Ram, Amlesh Kumar, Surnar Rai, Munnilal Rai, Rahul Kumar, Rohit and Abhinav were arrested. “The boy was kept hostage in the house of one Kavindra Kumar at village Pachra Laxmipur in Sheohar,” he said.
Jayant said the kidnappers had planned to kill the boy after getting the ransom money. Rohit, Abhinav and Manish were first detained. They revealed the story. Later, Dilip and Guddu were arrested with a bike and a pistol when they had gone near the boy’s residence. Afterwards, the other criminals were arrested, he said.
Two countrymade pistols, two live cartridges, one bike and nine cellphones were recovered from their possessions. The SSP said it was Avinash who had made the ransom call to Chahat’s family. The sim card along with the cellphone used in making the call had also been recovered.