Boy kidnapped for 10 crore, later murdered

Hyderabad: A day after the body of a class X student from Begum Bazar was found stuffed in a carton and abandoned near an eatery in Secunderabad, police have reportedly picked up three suspects for their role in the gruesome murder from Vijayawada. The suspects were picked up based on mobile phone tower location. The boy was kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 10 crore, but he was killed before the family could arrange the money.Around 11 pm, Gopalpuram police were alerted about a boy's body, in a crouching position with limbs bound by wires, found stuffed in a carton and abandoned near Alpha Hotel near the Secunderabad railway station. A team was dispatched to the location and other police stations in the city were intimated about the discovery. The Shahinayathgunj police responded and sent a profile of a 15-year-old teenager, Abhay Madhani, who went missing from Begum Bazar at 3 pm. Earlier in the day, the family members had received a ransom call too. Police got confirmation that the body was that of Abhay.The Gopalpuram police contacted their Shahinayathgunj counterparts and it came to light that Abhay had left his residence at 3 pm to get tiffin, but did not return. At 5 pm, the family members approached the Shahinayathgunj police and lodged a complaint. As the family members were making frantic searches for Abhay, they received a ransom call from an anonymous person. Abhay's father Raj Kumar spoke to the abductor, who, in an intimidating tone, asked the businessman for Rs 10 crore in exchange for Abhay. The call was recorded.A CCTV footage showed the boy pillion riding a scooter driven by an unidentified man near his house.Kumar, who owns a plastic company, begged the caller to release his son and expressed his inability to mobilise Rs 10 crore. In his phone conversation with the abductors of the boy, Kumar expressed his inability to mobilise such a huge sum and, instead, offered Rs 5 lakh in cash and gold worth Rs 10 lakh.The kidnapper shot back, "What rubbish are you talking. If you want safe return of your son, arrange at lease Rs 5 crore and send the cash to the Secunderabad railway station and your son will be released by 6 am on Thursday." By 11 pm, the boy was smothered to death. His body was bound by wires, put in a carton and abandoned near Alpha Hotel.The family members of the victim were shattered on hearing the news. Police took the telephone number from the family and tracked down three persons, who were aboard a train heading towards Vijayawada. They were reportedly taken into custody. It is learnt that the suspects were former workers of Kumar's plastic company. Police also have CCTV footage of the culprits, who left the carton at Alfa Hotel.Police have announced Rs one lakh reward for info on the suspects and released a photo of the person on whose vehicle Abhay was riding pillion. Citizens can contact: 9490616552 or WhatsApp the details to: 9490616555.