Kidnapped boy rescued from Kolar

(EDS: Adding police official's quotes) Mangaluru, Dec 19 (PTI): An eight-year-old boy from Ujire, who was kidnapped on December 17 by a gang demanding a ransom of Rs 17 crore, was rescued from Kolar by the city police. Anubhav, son of Bijoy and grandson of an ex-serviceman Shivan, had been abducted on Thursday evening by the occupants of an Indica car bearing an yellow number plate.

Police sources on Saturday said the special squad of Mangaluru police with the support of Kolar Superintendent of Police Kartik Reddy arrested the kidnappers. The boy was kept in a house at Koorna Hosahalli in Malur taluk of Kolar district.

The kidnappers had called the boy's mother Sariya Bijoy, demanding a ransom in bitcoins amounting to Rs 17 crore. Police swung into action and trapped the abductors in Kolar district.

The accused are being presently held at the Masti police station in Kolar, sources said. All the four kidnappers, an accomplice and the person who provided the house for keeping the boy in confinement have been arrested.

The kidnappers reached the village in Kolar with the boy on Friday night, the sources said. The abductors had wanted the ransom in bitcoins as it would be difficult to trace the transaction, Dakshina Kannada superintendent of police Laxmi Prasad told reporters here.

He said the kidnappers asked the family to provide bitcoins as they were aware about the availability of bitcoins with them. The boys father had made bitcoin transactions in the past, but had later stopped the practice, he said.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping. Another person known to the family is involved in the case. He hired the kidnappers, Prasad said.

The arrested have been identified as Ranjith (20) and Hanumanthu (21), both residents of Mandya; Gangadhar (25), a resident of Mysuru; Kamal (22), a resident of Electronic City who works as mechanic in Bengaluru; and Manjunath (24) and Mahesh (26), both from Kolar. Ranjith, Hanumanthu, Gangadhar and Kamal were the abductors while Manjunath and Mahesh helped the abductors in Kolar.

Prasad said the police had formed four teams and gone to Hassan, Bengaluru, Mudigere and Madhugiri. They got the lead at Madhugiri and came to know about some connection to Bengaluru and Mandya.

They later received information that the abductors were going to Kolar and with the help of local police, the accused were traced. The child is safe and no harm was done, he said.

The involvement of a third person, who hired the kidnappers promising them Rs 7 lakh and known to the family, is being investigated. Three more people are also suspected to be behind the kidnap and the probe is in progress, the SP said.

He said all the six accused were known to one another. They were produced before the court in Kolar and the boy was taken to his parents.