Kidnapped son of Jharkhand industrialist rescued from Hazaribag after two-week operation; hunt on for abductors

JAMSHEDPUR: The 24-year-old son of a Jamshedpur-based industrialist, abducted earlier this month, was rescued early Tuesday from Barhi in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district after an extensive multi-state police operation, officials said. Kairav Gandhi, son of industrialist Devang (Devan Chandra) Gandhi, was kidnapped on January 13 while on his way to his office in the Adityapur industrial area of the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district. “He was safely rescued by the Jamshedpur Police and sent home around 4.30 am,” Jamshedpur City SP Kumar Sivashish told news agency PTI. Police said sustained raids and pressure forced the abductors to abandon the victim while attempting to shift him to another location. Acting on intelligence inputs, police teams were deployed along likely routes. “Under mounting police pressure, the perpetrators left Kairav on the Chauparan–Barhi road in Hazaribag and fled,” an official statement said, adding that a manhunt has been launched to arrest those involved. The abduction had triggered an intensive investigation after the family received a ₹5 crore ransom demand on WhatsApp from an anonymous international number two days after Kairav went missing. The callers had threatened to kill him if the demand was not met within 48 hours. Following the ransom call, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Jamshedpur City SP Kumar Sivashish was constituted. At least seven teams were formed to probe different angles, with raids carried out at suspected hideouts across Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha. Police had earlier recovered Kairav’s car from near a resort at Kanderbeda in Chandil, under the Seraikela-Kharsawan district, on the night of the abduction. The search operation involved police from East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts, along with forensic teams and a dog squad. The incident had caused anxiety among the city’s business community, with traders organising prayers in Bistupur for the youth’s safe return. Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy had also raised the matter with senior police officials, urging swift action to crack the case. Devang Gandhi, a Bistupur resident, is also the vice-president of the Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA).