Punjab: Abducted boy rescued within 24 hours, kidnapper killed in police encounter

Chandigarh, Mar 13 (PTI) A seven-year-old boy was rescued within 24 hours of his abduction from outside his home in Ludhiana for a Rs 1 crore ransom with the key accused being killed in an exchange of fire with police, officials said on Thursday.

Three policemen were also injured in the gunfight in Patiala district, they said, adding two other accused were arrested.

Bhavkirat Singh was kidnapped by two motorcycle-borne kidnappers when he was playing outside his house in Seehan Daud village in Khanna, Ludhiana at around 6 pm on Wednesday, police said.

The boy's grandfather Gurjant Singh, who is a farmer and commission agent, informed police about the kidnapping.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Patiala Range) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said different teams were formed to trace the abductors and rescue the child.

Speaking to reporters, Sidhu said the kidnappers were first seen in Malerkotla after the kidnapping. Further investigation in the matter led to the arrest of two persons and their questioning led to vital clues in the case, he said.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav were personally monitoring the case, police said.

The kidnappers had demanded Rs 1 crore ransom from the boy's family, they said.

The main accused, who was in an SUV, a Fortuner, was tracked down near Mandour village in Patiala's Nabha, the DIG said.

The accused opened fire at the chasing police team, leading to injuries to three policemen, Sidhu said.

In retaliatory fire, the main accused, identified as Jasprit Singh, sustained serious injuries and later he succumbed. Upon searching the SUV, the police team found the boy who was scared, Sidhu said.

He said DGP Yadav has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for the police team which comprised members of Khanna police, Patiala police and Malerkotla police.

According to police, Jasprit also hailed from Seehan Daud village from where the boy was kidnapped.

The two other arrested accused, identified as Harpreet Singh and Ravi Bhinder, are from Amargarh area of Malerkotla district. They had planned to kidnap the boy for ransom, Sidhu said.

A .32 bore pistol and the motorcycle used in the crime have been recovered, said police.

Later, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema along with Bhavkirat reached his home and handed him over to his parents in Khanna.

To a question, the boy's relieved mother Jaspreet Kaur said, "It was her very difficult night (previous night). I know what I went through the night without my son." She thanked the Punjab Police for rescuing his son.

The boy's father, Ranvir Singh, said it was only due to the timely action of Punjab government that their son is now safely back in their house within 24 hours.

Earlier, Chief Minister Mann also spoke to the parents of Bhavkirat.

In a post on X, Mann warned that there is no place for such notorious elements in Punjab.

Lauding the state police for reining in criminals by taking strict and speedy action, minister Cheema warned that those people indulging in such heinous crimes would face the same fate.

He assured that the Mann government was committed to providing a safe environment for the people of Punjab, highlighting that the AAP government has given police a free hand to eliminate crime and criminal elements from the state.

MLAs Manvinder Singh Giaspura and Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, DIG Sidhu, Khanna SSP Jyoti Yadav Bains were also present on the occasion. PTI CHS KVK KVK

Source: PTI