BENGALURU: The kidnapping for ransom and murder of a teenaged boy in Bengaluru has sent shockwaves in the city because Karnataka “is not known for organised kidnapping for ransom and murder”, said some retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, who didn’t wish to be named since investigation into the gruesome crime is under way. Police arrested two alleged suspects, Shivaprakash (25) and Gopi (27). The former is said to be a former driver of the victim’s father, and was familiar to the child.
Nishchith, the 13-year-old schoolboy, was allegedly brutally murdered hours after being kidnapped while he was returning home from tuition classes in Hulimavu, on Wednesday. “The criminals may have killed the child to prevent being identified and also may not have had any hideout to keep him.
They seemed to have run out of options and may have killed him. In most cases, burning the body after killing is to hide the identity of the victim. Professional kidnappers have gangsters as part of their network, with whose help they keep shifting their hostage from one undisclosed place to the other, making it a daunting task and long chase for the police. Because of their network they are able to sustain and even hike the demand for ransom,” said a seasoned police officer. Veteran officers also pointed to the pace of the crime and what it may suggest.
“The entire crime, from kidnapping, call for ransom to the victim’s parents, and murder happened in quick succession, as if in a hurry and panic towards the end.
There is a high possibility of a conduit through which information on the hostage’s parents and their movements was being passed in real time to the perpetrators, and they seem to know exactly what was happening at the other end. In such cases, it is highly likely that someone is known to both sides. According to the police, at least one of the kidnappers was known to the child, which made it easier for him to trust him. Most child-related crimes are perpetrated by known people,” said an officer.
“The second important fact is that the amount of Rs 5 lakh for ransom suggests the desperation of the criminals and a small team. They may have resorted to kidnapping to get quick and easy money. It is also possible that someone either knows the family or was aware of the boy’s movements (from tuition to home), and may have hired criminals to commit the crime,” added another officer.
