3 Arrested For Kidnapping Class 10 Student In Maharashtra: Police

Three persons have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a Class 10 student and demanding a ransom of Rs 4 crore from his father in Maharashtra's Jalna district, police said on Thursday.

The boy was rescued by the police on Wednesday within six hours of being kidnapped by the accused, one of whom is the driver employed by the victim's father, an official said.

The police have arrested Akshay Ghadge (24), his brother Arjun, both residents Baraswada in Ambad tehsil and their relative Sandeep Darekar (26), while the fourth accused is still at large, he said.

According to the police, Swayam Mahaveer Gadiya had gone to appear for the CBSE semester exam at a school in the city in the morning. At 9 am, the driver Akshay Ghodge dropped him at the school, but when Swayam did not return home from the exam centre till late afternoon, his father called the driver.

However, the phone was picked up by an unidentified man, who told him in Hindi that his son has been kidnapped, and asked him to pay Rs 4 crore for his son's release, they said.

His father got scared and rushed to Ambad square with money as being told, but did not find anyone there. Meanwhile, the trader informed the local police about the developments, they said.

Gadiya took the money and waited on Ambad Road as told by the kidnappers later. However, after spotting the police, the kidnappers did not meet him and asked him to come to another location.

Sometime later, the driver called Gadiya that he and Swayam have escaped from clutches of the kidnappers and were hiding in a house in a nearby village. Following this, a police team rushed to the village and rescued the boy and launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC against the three arrested accused and a manhunt has been launched for the absconding man, the official said.