HYDERABAD: Was the 15-year-old son of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader from Shamsheergunj indeed kidnapped? In the absence of even circumstantial evidence, police are understandably unwilling to confirm it.
P Shabarish, who was allegedly kidnapped by unidentified persons on Sunday evening, was traced to Bapatla in Guntur district on Monday. The son of former BJYM city vice-president P Venkata Ramana, according to Shah Ali Banda police who registered a case under Section 363(kidnap) of the IPC, is learnt to have jumped off a moving train to escape from the clutches of his alleged kidnappers near Bapatla.
“The boy is in the custody of Bapatla government railway police and would be brought to Hyderabad by Tuesday morning. We have had conflicting statements so far and we will know the real facts only after he is brought back,” said S Maheswar, station house officer, Shah Ali Banda.
According to the complainant, P Venkata Ramana, his son was last seen with two unidentified persons at the Secunderabad railway station by his neighbour. He is believed to have then boarded the Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Garibrath Express. The police on receipt of the complaint on Monday, started investigation and have not been able to retrieve any useful CCTV footage.
“One of Venkata Ramana’s neighbours who had gone to the Secunderabad railway station to see off her daughter-in-law has claimed to have seen the boy with two unidentified persons. We have no circumstantial evidence to prove the boy was kidnapped,” said the SHO.
Sabarish goes to tuition between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. every day. “After tuitions, my son did not return on Sunday. He does not have a cell phone and neither does he use any friends’ phone.
My neighbour’s wife and daughter-in-law have seen my son with some people which is why I believe he was kidnapped,” said Venkata Ramana.