PUDUCHERRY: A 15-year-old boy Harishchandar, who was reportedly kidnapped for ransom by a gang from Krishna Nagar here early on Monday morning was released by his abductors later in the evening.
After a long harrowing wait by the parents, the suspected gang member contacted the boy’s parents over phone and informed them that they can pick him up from the Muruga Theatre located at the Rajiv Gandhi Square.
On arriving at the spot, the relatives found the boy, who was still in a state of shock. The police, who reached the spot, took the boy and a relative to Dhanvantri Nagar police station. Later, the boy was handed over to his parents at the Dhanvantri Nagar Police station.
Earlier, police said, Harishchandar, son of Mohana Krishnan, a teacher, working with a government school at Marakkanam, and his mother Kalpana, a staff nurse with JIPMER, was abducted by the gang near Dhanakantharaj School at 8.15 am on Monday.
The class X student came out of his house at Krishna Nagar and was proceeding to the Petit Seminaire school on his bicycle, when the gang picked him up in a motorbike and later shifted him into a four-wheeler. This was the second kidnap case reported in the last six months.
Sources said an unidentified person contacted his parents and initially asked for `5 lakh, which was later hiked to `30 lakh. The unidentified caller also warned the parents against informing the police and the media. On receiving information about the abduction, police rushed to the spot and launched an investigation to trace the whereabouts of the boy as well as persons involved in the kidnap.
It may be recalled that police are yet to arrest the culprit involved in the kidnapping of a businessman’s 10-year-old son for ransom on December 5 last year. Neeraj Jain (10), son of Manish Kumar Jain, a resident of 7th Cross at Rainbow Nagar, was abducted by unidentified persons who allegedly sought `15 lakh for his release.
Neeraj was dropped near his house on the third day and an unidentified person escorted the boy to his residence. Police officials refused to divulge anything when mediapersons queried about the progress in the case.
Police source said the parents and family of Neeraj did not show any interest in going ahead with the case.