The body of Abhay Modani, a Class 10 student, was found in a TV package box near a hotel in Secunderabad.
Highlights
- Kidnappers got the idea from a Tollywood movie, say police.
- Man accused wanted money to finance himself to be a movie star.
- The boy suffocated to death when they clumsily taped his mouth.
The shocking abduction of a 15-year-old boy, who was eventually murdered, had been inspired by movies, the Hyderabad police have said.
Three young men have been arrested for the death of Abhay Modani, a class 10 student, who had been abducted last week. His body was found tightly bound with rope, stuffed in a TV package box on last Wednesday.
The police said the kidnappers have claimed that they got the idea of the abduction from a Tollywood film.
The main accused, 21-year-old Sai, had claimed he hatched the plan along with two friends to kidnap Abhay and demand a ransom. The young man, who had studied till Class 10, wanted money to finance his desire to become a film star, said Mahendar Reddy, commissioner of Hyderabad police.
Sai had worked in Abhay's neighbourhood and had become friendly with Abhay over the last six months, said Mr Reddy. Abhay would use latest gadgets, so Sai concluded he was from an affluent family.
"Abhay readily gave Sai a lift on the evening of March 16 and ended up being kidnapped," the officer said.
The boy had suffocated to death after the men taped his mouth to stop him from raising an alarm and had gone to buy new sim cards for their phones.
That did not stop the men from demanding Rs 10 crore as ransom from Abhay's father, Raj Kumar, who runs a scrap recycling company. They even negotiated with Mr Kumar until they were promised at least half that amount.
They used the carton of a refrigerator to pack Abhay's body and disposed of it near the railway station of Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad. Their movement across the city was captured on multiple CCTV cameras from both cities.
In the first of the visuals from Hyderabad, Abhay is seen riding pillion behind Sai. After the ransom call was traced to Secunderabad, CCTV visuals from there showed someone dumping the box by the road near a hotel.