Hoshiarpur, February 14
That kidnappings have become more of a routine in Punjab has been proved once again by the sensational kidnapping of a ninth standard student, Abhi Verma, by car-borne kidnappers while he was on his way to school this morning. The kidnapping of Abhi Verma (16), alias Harry, son of a jeweller, Ravi Verma, which occurred at around 8.45 am while Harry was going to DAV Senior Secondary School, has instilled fear among residents of this city, who have started feeling that their children are no longer safe.
It is learnt that the kidnappers rang up the father of the victim and demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from him for the safe return of his son.
Harry’s kidnapping was first noticed by a beggar, Hansa Bai, who saw that some people had forcibly bundled a youngster into a silver-grey Maruti or Alto car as soon as he (Harry) reached the Simla Pahari chowk and the car had zoomed towards the dhobi ghat road despite loud shrieks by the kidnapped student for help. The beggar immediately raised an alarm which alerted some people, who in turn informed the police control room within five-seven minutes.
Though some people, who were moving around in the area tried to chase the car, on the bonnet of which the letter “V” was seen inscribed, the kidnapper escaped. This despite the fact that police officials, including the SSP, the DSP and the SHO, had also reached the spot. There was no trace of the kidnappers till late in the evening.
Harry, who was staying with his family near Mata Rani chowk, had left his house for the school at around 8.40 a.m. Eyewitnesses, have confirmed that the car used in the crime appeared to be an Alto or a Maruti-800 and it was without a number plate.
Senior police officers, including Mr B.K. Uppal and Mr Parmjit Sarao, both DIGs, also reached the spot and took control of monitoring and rescue operations.
Though the incident had caused a flutter in the city in the morning, it could not be confirmed that the kidnapped student was Harry, till a phone call, allegedly made by the kidnappers, was received by Harry’s father, Ravi Verma, at around 12 noon. “Somebody spoke in a harsh and annoying tone and asked me to arrange for Rs 50 lakh within three hours. The person who was speaking in chaste Punjabi advised me that if I wanted the safe return of my son, I should keep the amount ready with me,” said a worried Ravi Verma, who runs a jewellery shop in the local Dabbi bazar.
Mediapersons approached Mr Verma and Ms Anita Verma, mother of Abhi Verma, at their house at Mata Rani chowk (Prem Garh) to find out the details of the incident, but both were under a severe shock and could not tell anything. Ms Verma was continuously weeping and was asking every visitor to get her son released.
Mr Sarao said a red alert had been sounded in the region. Police teams drawn from Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala had been constituted to launch a joint operation for arresting the culprits.
