Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a tragic incident in Chitrakoot, the son of a tobacco trader was allegedly abducted and brutally murdered for a ransom of 50 lakhs. Police have arrested three suspects, including the main culprit, in connection with the heinous crime.
The victim, Sudhanshu, aged 16, went missing on February 10. The incident came to light on February 12, when Sudhanshu's father received a call from an unknown mobile number, stating that his son had been kidnapped. An hour later, another call demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh for Sudhanshu's release. Disturbed by the threat, Sudhanshu's father, Rajdhar, immediately informed his wife, Manju Devi, and reported the matter to the police.
Chitrakoot SP Arun Kumar Singh formed a special team to apprehend the culprits and directed the Rapura police to expedite the release of the abducted minor. Meanwhile, Rajdhar, the father of the kidnapped boy, provided the police with the phone number of the accused and handed over the phone call recording. The SIM card holder informed the police that his mobile number had been stolen two days earlier.
Investigations revealed that the youth making the ransom demands was identified as Vinay Kumar. The SP, with prompt action, arrested Vinay in Chitrakoot late on the night of February 12. Vinay confessed to the crime during interrogation, revealing the gruesome details of Sudhanshu's abduction and murder.
According to Vinay, the plan to abduct Sudhanshu was hatched with the involvement of his accomplices, Prince Patel and Ashish Patel, along with another minor from Rapura. The assailants targeted Sudhanshu due to his father's substantial daily earnings from the gutka business.
Vinay lured Sudhanshu to his house, where he was confined for two days. On Monday, under the pretext of showing him an airport, Sudhanshu was taken into the jungle. When Sudhanshu resisted, the criminals threatened his father, leading to Sudhanshu's tragic demise. The criminals then disposed of his body in the jungle.
The police are investigating the case.