A shop worker allegedly plotted the kidnapping of his employer’s 12-year-old son and demanded Rs 70 lakh ransom in Sirsa city. The accused, identified as Saurabh, had been working at the book seller’s shop for the past three years and was trusted by the family. He regularly used to drop the child to tuition classes.
The police said Saurabh, along with three local youths, planned the kidnapping over the past eight to 10 days.
According to the police, the incident took place on Thursday evening in the C Block area when Saurabh was taking the boy on a bike for tuition. A Nano car allegedly stopped in front of them and three masked youths forcibly took both the child and Saurabh inside the vehicle.
The kidnappers tied cloth over their eyes and later made a WhatsApp call to the child’s father, demanding Rs 70 lakh ransom. The boy was also made to speak to his father to create pressure on the family.
In an attempt to avoid suspicion, Saurabh allegedly pretended that he too had been kidnapped and even acted unconscious during the incident so the child would believe he was also a victim, the police said. After receiving the complaint from the child’s father, Rajesh Kumar, the police launched a late-night search operation and set up checkpoints across the city.
DSP Rajesh Kumar said the police traced the suspects through location tracking. Sensing police pressure, the accused abandoned the child and Saurabh near Ramnagaria village before fleeing.
The child was rescued safely around 10 pm and handed over to his family. The police arrested Saurabh, while efforts are on to nab the three other accused.
The police said all four accused were residents and worked as labourers. No weapon was used in the crime and no ransom money was exchanged.
