Bihar: Boy kidnapped for Rs 25 lakh ransom rescued, four held

BAGAHA/PATNA: West Champaran police with the help of special task force rescued 14-year-old Prince Kumar after an encounter with the kidnappers in a sugar cane field at Tesarhia Diara under Bathwaria police station area of Bagaha on Sunday. Four persons involved in the kidnapping were arrested.
Two bike-borne criminals had kidnapped the boy from near his residence at Nawalpur under Yogapatti police station area in Bettiah at around 4.30pm on Friday.Bettiah Sadar SDPO Mukul Parimal Pandey said Prince’s grandfather Vinod Yadav had received a ransom call of Rs 25 lakh. He said kidnappers had threatened to kill Prince in case the ransom amount was not paid.
Pandey said those arrested were identified as Santosh Chaudhary (23) of Dharhwa, Rajesh Chaudhary (24) of Piparpati, both under Nawalpur police station area, Laxman Chaudhary (21) of Saraiya Chaudhary Tola under Bairia police station of Bettiah and Jitendra Chaudhary (24) of Nawka Tola under Bathwaria police station area.
The SDPO said Santosh was the mastermind. He was arrested from Dharhwa with a countrymade pistol and a live cartridge. “He worked as the tractor driver of Vinod for ten days for recce. The family owns a market complex, more than 40 bigha land and other properties in Bettiah,” he said.
He said one bike, two countrymade pistols, five live and two empty cartridges, five cellphones, two blankets, eatable items and potable water were recovered from the arrested kidnappers. The seized cellphones also include the one used for making the ransom call.