Date:30/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/30/stories/2006123022670300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Media reports on probe often annoy abductors

Five years ago, a boy was killed by his abductors when media carried reports despite pleas from the police, recalls K.V. SUBRAMANYA

SHER ALI and Fahima were full of joy on Thursday as the police safely rescued their son Imran Baig (16) from his kidnappers, who had held him captive for three days.

But parents of all those children who were kidnapped from the city earlier were not as lucky as Ali and Fahima. Justice is still a far cry for Alagarani and Govinda Shekar, whose only son was kidnapped and murdered five years ago.

It was on December 31, 2001, Prem Kumar (14) was kidnapped from Ramamurthynagar police station limits. Around 11.45 a.m. on that fateful day, Kumar left his Dasappa Layout house on his bicycle to buy chocolates. When he did not return till afternoon, his mother Alagarani, lodged a complaint with the police that her son was missing.

Towards evening, she received a call that her son has been kidnapped and taken to Hosur in Tamil Nadu. The caller demanded a ransom of Rs. 20 lakh. But the abductors did not specify where and when the money was to be paid.

The abductors did not make any phone calls or contact Ms. Alagarani for the next two days. On the night of January 2, 2002 the abductors telephoned Ms. Alagarani to check whether she had arranged the money. They set a two-day deadline for the payment of the ransom and told her that they would contact her again.

When the abductors did not contact her later, the police were left clueless. Although the police teams visited Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu, they could not trace the culprits.

Even as the police were groping in the dark, Kumar's body was found in Horamavu tank on January 10, 2002.

Although six years have passed by, the killers are still at large. The police say that they had to give up further investigation because there were hardly any clues.

The officials said cooperation from the media was necessary in maintaining secrecy because criminals were alerted by the news reports on police investigation.

Despite many appeals by the police not to publish reports on the kidnapping of Kumar, the media highlighted the incident.