Police have arrested three Class 10 students in Ayodhya for kidnapping a nine-year-old boy and slitting his throat after the fear of being caught gripped them, officials said.
Faizabad's senior superintendent of police Faizabad KB Singh said on Thursday that Harsh, son of Rangnath Achari, a priest in Ayodhya, left his house on Wednesday evening to visit a friend. On the way he met the three boys, aged between 14 and 15, who offered to drop him at his friend's house on their bicycles.
But the trio took Harsh to Kanshi Ram Colony and locked him up in a house located in a desolate area. When the boy resisted they tied his hands and legs, besides threatening to kill him if he made a noise.
Later, one of the kidnappers rang up Achari and demanded a ransom of Rs. 5 lakh for Harsh's release and told him bring the money to a particular spot. Achari immediately informed the police who set up a trap for the kidnappers near the spot where the ransom was to be handed over to them. However, they did not turn up.
The police also put the mobile phones of the kidnappers under surveillance and traced the locality from where the call was made to Achari.
The boys who began to panic and out of fear of getting caught they slit Harsh's throat with a blade. As Harsh fell unconscious due to excessive bleeding, they fled the spot.
{{/usCountry}}The boys who began to panic and out of fear of getting caught they slit Harsh's throat with a blade. As Harsh fell unconscious due to excessive bleeding, they fled the spot.
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, the police traced the house, rescued Harsh and admitted him to a hospital, where he is in a serious condition. They also arrested all the three kidnappers and sent them to a juvenile home.
The trio told the police that they wanted to use the money to purchase motorcycles, expensive mobile sets and liquor.
"Though the boys are teenagers, they had planned the kidnapping like professional criminals," the SSP said.