SONEPUR: In a dramatic late-night operation, police on Monday rescued a nine-year-old boy from Puri within 24 hours of his kidnapping from Sonepur.
The abduction for ransom triggered an intense multi-district police operation under the direct supervision of senior officers including northern range IG Himanshu Lal.
Police said a case was registered on Monday under sections 137 (2) and 140 (2) of the BNS on basis of a complaint lodged by Sradhakar Naik of Sonepur. Naik alleged that his minor son was abducted at around 6.30 pm on Sunday by Vishnu Yadav and Bikash Yadav of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh along with other unidentified miscreants. Hours after the abduction, the accused reportedly demanded a ransom of `20 lakh through WhatsApp call and messages, threatening to kill the boy if the money was not paid.
The case was taken up on priority and investigation was spearheaded by sub-inspector Deepti Ranjan Digal of Sonepur town police station. Special teams were formed with cyber experts from Sonepur and Balangir districts. One team led by Sonepur SP Narayan Nayak worked on tracking the accused and ensuring the child’s safety, while another led by additional SP of Balangir Alok Ranjan Jena tried to pin down the kidnappers’ location despite their mobile phones being switched off.
After marathon efforts, police traced the victim to Puri. With the help of Puri SP Prateek Singh and city DSP Prasanta Sahu, the boy was rescued unhurt.
However, the accused managed to escape. Police seized a four-wheeler used by the culprits in which a firearm magazine was recovered, indicating a plan to kill the child in case the ransom was not paid. The rescued boy has been reunited with his parents, said police.
Lal, who camped in Sonepur to personally supervise the operation, said, “Our mission was to ensure the boy’s safety and rescue him unharmed. The coordinated efforts of police teams across districts made the rescue possible within 24 hours after it was reported. The rescue has brought immense relief to the victim’s family.”
The IG further said it was a difficult operation since the accused were operating through only WhatsApp and kept their mobile phones switched off, which made location tracking extremely challenging. A manhunt has been launched to nab the absconding kidnappers soon, he added.