Kidnapped Boy Rescued By Police Within Four Hours

The Rachakonda police on Sunday rescued a six-year-old boy, Arjun, within four hours after he was kidnapped by a Class X student.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said that the suspect, who was a Class X student in a private school in Meerpet, had kidnapped the boy, a Class II student, after luring him to Almasguda, and called up his father, a software employee, demanding Rs 3 lakh as ransom.

The episode began at around 2:30 pm on Sunday. The child was returning home after attending a coaching class, when the juvenile suspect spotted him. The latter lured the boy to his house at Almasguda to play together, and took the phone number of the boy's father. He then called up the father and told him that his son was kidnapped. He demanded Rs 3 lakh for the release of the child and also warned him that if he informed the police, his son would be killed.

The father pleaded with him not to hurt the child and offered to pay Rs 1.5 lakh. The suspect refused, and finally agreed for Rs 25,000 in cash as an advance and Rs 2.5 lakh via a cheque later.

The father alerted the police, who immediately formed a special team, quickly identified the accused through intelligence gathering, and apprehended him at Almasguda by around 7 pm. When interrogated, the accused confessed to his crime and led the police to the Sri Prasannanjaneya temple, Almasguda, where he had the boy sitting.