Delhi police rescue 13-year-old kidnapped boy, arrest accused within three hours

New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Delhi Police rescued a 13-year-old boy and arrested a 22-year-old man in an alleged kidnapping-for-ransom case within three hours of receiving information about the incident, officials said.

The police also recovered Rs 5,000 in cash, a mobile phone allegedly used to make the ransom call, and a scooty used in the crime. The accused was apprehended after he allegedly returned to a cybercafe to collect the ransom money through a transaction arranged by the police.

According to the police, the incident was reported at Jyoti Nagar police station on October 30 at around 7.15 p.m. The complainant told police that her son had gone out to purchase some items but had not returned home. She subsequently received a call from an unidentified person demanding Rs 40,000 for the safe release of the boy.

Following the complaint, a case was registered under Section 140(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was launched.

A dedicated team led by Inspector Parvesh Kasana, Station House Officer of Jyoti Nagar police station, was constituted under the supervision of ACP Gokalpuri Tanvir Ashraf. The team collected technical evidence and analysed CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to trace the child and identify the accused.

During the investigation, the alleged kidnapper contacted the complainant again and reiterated the ransom demand. Police said the accused insisted on receiving the money through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and shared a barcode for the transaction.

To trace him, the police transferred Rs 5,000 through the UPI barcode using an account belonging to a police official.

The transaction led investigators to a cybercafe in the jurisdiction of Karawal Nagar police station, operated by Sunil Saini in Delhi’s Karawal Nagar area. During questioning, the cafe owner told police that a youth aged around 21-22 years had visited the establishment with a minor boy and used his UPI barcode to receive Rs 5,000 in exchange for a commission of Rs 50.

Police examined the cafe’s CCTV footage, and the complainant identified the kidnapped child in the recordings. To confirm the lead and trace the suspect, another transaction of Rs 5,000 was initiated through the same UPI barcode.

The accused allegedly returned to the cybercafe with the boy to collect the money in cash. Acting on the identification and assistance provided by the cafe owner, the police team apprehended him and rescued the child.

The accused was identified as Akash, 22, a resident of Loni in Uttar Pradesh. Police said he had no previous criminal involvement on record.

During interrogation, Akash allegedly disclosed that he worked as a delivery helper in the Sadar Bazar area and knew the victim through his cousin. He allegedly lured the boy onto his scooty before making the ransom call to the child’s mother.

The police recovered Rs 5,000 in cash, including the Rs 50 commission amount, along with the accused’s mobile phone and the scooty allegedly used in the kidnapping.

Officials said the prompt response, technical surveillance and CCTV analysis helped secure the boy’s safe recovery and arrest the accused within approximately three hours of receiving the initial information.

–IANS

sud/vd