“You sell your land, or commit a robbery or even beg but make arrangement of Rs 1.5 million in the next days if you want his release. Or he will be killed on the fourth day,” Sanjeeb Yadav, the elder brother of the kidnapped boy, quoted the kidnappers as saying.[break]
His brother Sandip, 18 -- a 12th grader at the Softech College in Lahan -- had gone missing from his home in Lahan on August 20. The family knew of his kidnapping three days later when it received a ransom call from mobile number 9842861955. The kidnappers demanded Rs 2 million initially and called every third day to remind about the ransom.
The Yadavs had informed the District Administration Office and Area Police Office, Bariyarpati immediately after getting the first ransom call and lodged a written complaint with Ward Police Office, Lahan on August 30.
They had even met visiting Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Kalyan Kumar Timilsina and eastern region police chief Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Surendra Shah, who had come to inaugurate the newly constructed building of Ward Police Office, Lahan on September 7, and got positive assurances. But police have not made any headway in the case.
“We have even requested the home ministry to seek release of my brother but it is ultimately up to the police to search for him. We can just give them the information we have,” Sanjib said at a press conference Thursday. “Police say they are searching for him and we get such threatening calls,” he rued.
Chief of Siraha district police Bikash Shrestha claimed that the police have left no stones unturned in search of the kidnapped boy.
“Everything police do in such cases remains a secret until the kidnapped person is released. We have been investigating the case taking a few suspects in custody,” Shrestha said. A special team from Sagarmatha Zonal Police Office in Rajbiraj has also been mobilized, he revealed.
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