Kidnappers kill six-yr-old boy after cops raid hideout in UP’s Sultanpur

CM Yogi Adityanath announced Rs 7 lakh compensation to the family and asked the doctors to provide best possible facility to the injured boy

Four men allegedly kidnapped two minor children of a florist in Sultanpur for Rs 50 lakh ransom and attacked them with a spade, killing the younger one, when the police raided their hideout during the wee hours of Friday, police said.

Some passersby saw four men forcibly taking two children with them and informed the police. Divyansh was a Class 2 student while Priyansh studied in Class 1 at Saraswati Shishu Mandir branch in Katra (Getty Images)

Superintendent of police (SP), Sultanpur, Anurag Vats said the children, Priyansh (6) and Divyansh (8), were kidnapped by four motorcycle-borne miscreants, including a servant of the florist Rakesh Kumar, at 12.30 pm on Thursday when they were returning from their school in Katra, Gosaiganj area.

“Some passersby saw four men forcibly taking two children with them and informed the police. Divyansh was a Class 2 student while Priyansh studied in Class 1 at Saraswati Shishu Mandir branch in Katra,” he added.

Vats said the children’s father lodged an FIR after getting a call from kidnappers who demanded Rs 50 lakh ransom for their safe release. According to police, when they raided the hideout of the criminals after identifying them early on Friday morning, the kidnappers attacked the children with a spade killing Priyansh and inflicting grievous injuries to Divyansh.

The police arrested the kidnappers following an encounter and recovered Priyansh’s body from the bushes near the banks of Gomti. Divyansh was shifted to the trauma centre of the King George’s Medical University in Lucknow.

“The child’s condition is serious and he is on ventilator support,” said Dr Ved Prakash at KGMU’s trauma centre.

CM Yogi Adityanath visited KGMU on Friday morning to know about the well being of the boy.

During his 15-minute meeting with the victim’s family, the CM expressed grief over Priyansh’s death and assured stern action against the culprits.

The CM announced Rs 7 lakh compensation to the family and asked the doctors to provide best possible facility to the injured boy. The SP said the four kidnappers, identified as Raghuvar, Hari Om, Shiv Pujan Rai and Suraj, were holed up in an under construction house in Karuadia locality, about 20 kilometres from the boy’s house.

“The police arrested the criminals after an encounter. One of the accused, Shiv Pujan Rai, suffered a gunshot in his left leg,” he added.

The SP claimed that the entire conspiracy was hatched by the flower decorator’s servant Raghuvar and who briefed his other accomplices about the family.

“The servant had a wrong perception of the financial condition of Kumar. He was not that well off to pay Rs 50 lakh ransom,” he said.

“The kidnappers left Divyansh lying on the spot believing him to be dead. Priyansh’s body has been handed over to the family after post-mortem examination,” the SP added.

CM orders statewide drive for verification of servants

Taking a serious note of Sultanpur kidnapping, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday announced the launch of a state wide drive for verification of servants and domestic help.

The CM said he had directed director general of police (DGP) OP Singh to prepare a detailed plan and launch a state wide drive.