Date:29/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/29/stories/2008102952060300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam

2 held on charges of kidnapping boy for ransom in Ooty

Staff Reporter

Udhagamandalam: Two persons, including the relative of a boy, were arrested on Tuesday on charges of kidnapping the child for ransom.

The Superintendent of Police, the Nilgiris, A.G. Babu, told The Hindu that Jeevith Dhesh (4), son of Manikandan, a water supply agent, had gone missing on October 24 while he was playing in front of his house.

With efforts to trace the boy going in vain, Manikandan had sought the help of his relative Kannadhasan (32), an employee of a dealer in textiles in Main Bazaar here.

Manikandan received a phone call stating that the child had been kidnapped.

The caller, who could not be identified, demanded Rs. 4 lakh for his release.

The caller warned that if police assistance was sought, the boy would be killed.

Kannadhasan asked Manikandan to meet the demand immediately in order to secure the release of the boy before any harm was done to him.

He offered to help Manikandan raise the money.

Manikandan pledged some jewellery and gave Rs. 1.60 lakh to Kannadhasan who promised that he would arrange for the balance to get the boy released.

Kannadhasan who had gone in an autorickshaw, returned in a short while with the boy.

With his suspicions aroused, Manikandan informed the police on Sunday.

A special squad interrogated Kannadhasan who confessed that he had enacted the drama for money with the help of an autorickshaw driver Ramesh alias D’Cruz.

They were arrested and the money given by Manikandan recovered.