A month on, no trace of 9-yr-old Sujal

Nagpur: The probe into the kidnapping of Sujal Wasnik, aged nine years, seems to be now heading nowhere. The minor, from Lihitgaon village in Kamptee taluka, had gone missing on September 16 under mysterious circumstances.

City police top brass had formed several teams, including that of crime branch's five units, apart from that of New Kamptee police station's to trace the boy.

Prime suspect Ramdas Madavi, who had made the ransom call to demand Rs4 lakh from Wasnik family, had attempted suicide in the lock-up of New Kamptee police station on September 26 after which he had been admitted at Mayo hospital. Madavi's accomplice Sunil Meshram is in magisterial custody.

Many others in the village, including neighbours, were rounded up for questioning but no clues were found.

The cops had formed several squads to conduct searches at farms, wells, nullahs, roadside dhabas or eateries, railway stations, bus depots, hotels, transport hubs and various places in and around Nagpur district.

Police have also conducted searches at the residences of Wasnik's relatives. Even the family was being quizzed repeatedly. The sale of property by the family was also under police scanner.

Local criminals too were checked, especially those having records of kidnapping and other cases pertaining to minors. Cops have pressed into actions their best informers. Cell phone calls and tower locations too were checked as the cyber cell worked round the clock.

Sambhaji Kadam, DCP (crime) and Zonal DCP K Upadhyay have separately claimed that they not given up yet but admitted that the case had become complicated due to the delay.

"It is still not clear as to why the family opted to lay traps for Madavi rather than approaching cops," said a senior official.