After police failed to secure the release of Sanjay Singh Koiri, 19, of Chandrodayapur-2 who was abducted on January 7, residents of Chandrodayapur have held captive the relatives of the kidnappers. [break]
Koiri was abducted by an armed group from Golbazaar. After abducting him, the abductors have been making phone calls to his family demanding a hefty ransom.
After ascertaining that the mobile phone used to put the ransom demand belongs to one Santosh of Asanpur, Chandrodaypur residents have held captive Santosh´s younger brother, among others, said Shantrughan Prasad Singh Koiri, former state minister for tourism and civil aviation, and a lawmaker elected from Siraha constituency number 4.
He added that with relatives of the abductors in villager´s captivity, pressure has risen on the kidnappers to release the boy without ransom payment.
Meanwhile, Deputy Superintendent of Police Jayaraj Sapkota of Siraha District Police Office said police have detained Santosh´s mother Ram Kumari Mahato for investigation. Police have also seized the Santosh´s cellphone.
A villager said that the abductors of Sanjay are in a state of panic after the abduction of two of their men by villagers and arrest of Santosh´s mother by police. The villager added that Sanjay´s family members are in negotiation with the abductors for his release without payment of ransom.
Sources said Sanjay´s family members are holding Santosh´s brother and another person captive after taking permission from local police to do so. However, Rajesh Lal Karna, Siraha´s police chief, denied knowledge of the presence of two of the abductor´s men in villager´s captivity.
When contacted, Sanjay´s father Bijay Singh disconnected the phone after saying he cannot divulge anything more than what is already public knowledge.
Sanjay´s abductors had demanded Rs 900,000 from his family members and had told them not to say a word to police and journalists. A relative of Sanjay said, “It has already been 13 days. Police only say that they will find him.”
Golbazaar, from where Sanjay was abducted, is a fast-developing town in Siraha. Barely 100 meters from the spot where Sanjay was snatched by kidnappers are the Golbazaar Area Police Office and a base camp of Armed Police Force. There is a 24-hour patrolling at Golbazaar by separate teams of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force.
Including Sanjay, the total number of people abducted from Siraha this year has reached nine. This is the first time in the district that villagers have sought to free an abducted person by abducting relatives of the abductors.
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