2 held, over Rs 1.4 cr ransom recovered

Two men were arrested on Monday for allegedly kidnapping a GD Goenka Public School student and later releasing him after receiving a ransom of Rs 1.5 crore from the boy’s industrialist father.

Another accomplice is absconding, the police said.

The two abducted the 11-year-old (name withheld) while he was near his school in Rohini in the family car on Friday morning.

The accused were identified as Kamal Goel, 40, who worked as manager in a construction company owned by a close friend of the victim’s family, and Vinay Mishra, 25, who claims to be a bouncer.

Police said the two had attempted to kidnap a businessman last year.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal said the duo snatched the driver’s cellphone after allegedly abducting the boy to prevent him from calling either the family or the police. But the driver rushed to the school and informed authorities. The school soon called up the Begumpur police station with the complaint and then informed the family, Dadwal said.

The police said the alleged abductors called the victim’s father, Ravi Aggarwal, the same evening and sought Rs 2 crore. “Aggarwal paid Rs 1.5 crore on Saturday (January 23) without informing the police,” an officer said. “The child was released on Sunday.”

While Aggarwal did not inform police, the cops had by then put the duo’s phone numbers on electronic surveillance after receiving the complaint from the school, Dadwal said. He said the police identified the culprits and arrested one of them — Kamal Goel — from Sector 9 in Rohini on Sunday. His accomplice Vinay Mishra was arrested from Moti Nagar. Dadwal said Rs 1.46 crore of the Rs 1.5-crore ransom was recovered.