Chheden Lama, 22, of Marming-4 and Gyan Bahadur Tamang, 23, of Gati-4 were arrested with Rs 193,000 of the Rs 200,000 paid by father of Sanjay Sah from Banji of Arniko Highway Monday night. The second grader at the local Ketu English Boarding School was abducted while playing on Saturday afternoon.[break]
Sanjay´s father Bijay and mother have been running a cosmetic store and paan shop for 17 years having come from Motihari, Bihar in India and were staying in a rented apartment in Ramche, Barhabise.
The abductors had first called Bijay Saturday evening informing that Sanjay was safe with them and would return home but had demanded Rs 500,000 in ransom the next morning. Bijay said the abductors had used three cell phone numbers -- 9813703605, 9818789654 and 9813791299 -- while communicating with the family.
Bijay had then filed a complaint and was in contact with the police even as the ransom amount was negotiated at Rs 200,000 Monday morning. “The people of Barhabise collected Rs 200,000 in just 30 minutes after negotiation with the kidnappers,” Bijay added gratefully.
Inspector at Area Police Office, Bahrabise Kumar Pandit Chhetri and three other plainclothesmen had reached Chaku Bazar of Marming on a private car and motorcycle before Bijay reached there at around 10 in the morning.
The abductors asked Bijay to place the amount under a rock in the jungle near Marming after changing the spot to hand over ransom three times. “They had been watching me closely though I didn´t see any of them,” Bijay added.
Sanjay reached Marming at 3:15 pm around 30 minutes after Bijay paid the ransom amount. Police immediately started searching vehicles on the information provided by Sanjay.
“The cell phones in the possession of abductors rang when we dialed two of the three numbers used by them after we stopped a private car going to Kathmandu from Tatopani,” inspector Chhetri revealed. Chhetri said the inebriated duo confessed to the crime and said they spent the rest of the ransom amount.
“We have achieved this success after three days of tireless effort,” Chhetri said revealing the abductors at a press conference on Tuesday.
He said Chheden Lama had masterminded the abduction having seen the Sahs during his frequent visits to his elder sister Pasang Dolma who also had rented an apartment near the Sahs. The kidnappers had taken Sanjay to different places of Gati and remote Listimai Temple after abduction.
Meanwhile, locals of Barhabise who sang praises of Barhabise police Monday night met Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Basanta Kumar Lama at Sindhupalchowk Police in district headquarters Chautara Tuesday and demanded stringent action against the duo.
Sindhulpalchowk Police, meanwhile, gave cash awards to sub-inspector Krishna Thapa, head constables Surya Majhi and Hari Karki and constables Rajan Khatri, Mahendra Poudel and Sahakul Thapa and recommended one-level promotion for another constable Dev Bahadur Bhujel.
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