Kidnappers of 8-year-old in Karnataka demand Rs 17 crore in Bitcoins

The boy, Anubhav, was kidnapped while playing in front of his house in Ujire taluk of Mangaluru district on Thursday.

Kidnappers of an eight-year-old boy in Karnataka have demanded 100 bitcoins, which comes to about approximately Rs 17 crore, as ransom money from the boy’s family and have also given instructions on how to execute the same.

Police suspect that the kidnappers are well known to the family. (Reuters file photo)

The boy, Anubhav, was kidnapped while playing in front of his house in Ujire taluk of Mangaluru district on Thursday. His father Bijoy and grandfather AK Shivan are said to be prominent businessmen in the city.

After the family approached the police, the kidnappers have reduced the ransom demand to 60 bitcoins (approx Rs 10 crore), but threatened the family with dire consequences for having approached the police. A special investigative team set up by Dakshina Kannada SP BM Lakshmi Prasad traced the origin of the new ransom message from a cell tower in Hassan district of Karnataka.

A police team comprising Bantwal Dy SP Valentine D Souza, Belthangady Circle Inspector PG Sandesh, Inspector Nandakumar and Dharmasthala station SI Pawan Kumar has been formed to track the abductors whose last known location was Alooru.

DK Police sources indicated that Nakhabandi (checkposts) have been set up all across the Charmady Ghat forest area. Police suspect that the kidnappers are well known to the family.

“The investigations are at a sensitive stage and we cannot comment anything more,” the source added.