Friendship with female friend behind kidnap of tenth-class boy in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four people have been arrested in connection with the kidnap of a tenth-class boy from Mangalapuram. The Mangalapuram police arrested Ashwin Dev, Abhiram, Sreejith and Abhiraj. The police have taken into custody the car used for the kidnap. It is hinted that the boy was kidnapped for his friendship with Sreejith’s female friend.

The boy abducted by the four-member goonda team was found later in a rubber plantation in Keezhattingal. The boy identified as Aashiq (15) of Murukkumpuzha was kidnapped from his house and taken away in a car.

The incident happened last night at 7.45 pm. The boy, a student of Attingal Govt Boys High School, is the son of Nihas and Shaina of Aashiq Villa at Edavilakam in Murukkumpuzha. As his parents were abroad, he is staying with his grandmother. His relatives had informed the Mangalapuram police about the missing of the boy.

Aashiq was forcibly taken away by a two-member gang on a bike while he was returning from tuition last Saturday morning at 11 am. He was locked inside a house and beaten up. Aashiq was sent back in the evening. The family had filed a complaint with the Mangalapuram police then but alleged that they did not conduct a proper investigation. The family alleged that there was a lapse from the side of the police even after they named the perpetrators. The police suspect that the same gang is behind the kidnapping.