Prayagraj boy’s body found four days after he was kidnapped

Ankit, 12, son of auto driver Mool Chandra, a resident of Andawa under Sarai Inayat police station in Prayagraj’s trans-Ganga area, was kidnapped on August 19, but the police’s futile search for the boy only began two days later on August 21

Uttar Pradesh Police recovered the body of 12-year-old Ankit, who was abducted from Prayagraj’s Andawa in trans-Ganga area and killed, following a four-day long search operation at Mirzapur-Koraon border. The search operation was launched on the basis of confession made by the four accused arrested earlier in the case.

The 12 year old boy was strangled by his kidnappers and his body was thrown deep inside the woods in Prayagraj district. (REUTERS Photo/Representative use)

Ankit, 12, son of auto driver Mool Chandra, a resident of Andawa under Sarai Inayat police station in Prayagraj’s trans-Ganga area, was kidnapped on August 19, but the police’s futile search for the boy only began two days later on August 21, people aware of the developments said.

On August 25, a kidnapper called Ankit’s mother and asked Moolchand to carry ₹30 lakh as ransom for Ankit’s safe return to the Naribari area in trans-Yamuna. Mool Chandra immediately informed the police, who put the mobile number on surveillance and later traced its location to the Koraon area, from where two accused Arjun and Bheem, also brothers, were arrested.

The duo confessed to have killed Ankit and dumped his body at Dramanganj area of Mirzapur district, which borders Prayagraj’s Koraon area. The duo also named Pushpraj and Deepak as their accomplices in the case. Police also arrested them in separate raids.

Abhishek Kumar Agarwal, superintendent of police (SP) of Trans-Ganga said the abductors first took Ankit to Deepak’s home in Pachehta village in Koraon and strangled him to death the next day in the forest area. They threw the body deep inside the forest, which could be recovered after more than four days, the SP added.

Ankit, the eldest among three siblings, was a student of class five. He was targeted after the accused learnt that his father Mool Chandra had sold one of his properties in the village, police said.