By IANS
Patna : The body of a three-year-old abducted boy has been recovered in Bihar, where scarcely a day passes without reports of schoolchildren being kidnapped or businessmen and professionals receiving extortion calls.
Police Friday found the body of the schoolboy Munna from a village in Nalanda, the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, about 100 km from here. The family members of the boy said he was killed after being abducted a few days ago.
There are also fresh reports of criminals demanding money from Sanjay Kumar, a well-known physician from Begusarai district. In another case, a government official has accused a legislator – Lalbabu Rai of Maraurah – of trying to extort money from him.
Nine-year-old Pratik Kumar was abducted at gunpoint by criminals in Saharsa district, about 200 km from here, when he was on his way to school Thursday. Pratik is a Class 4 student of Buddha Public School.
Police suspect it to be a case of kidnapping for ransom, as his father is a businessman. However, Pratik's father Prashant Gupta denied having received any ransom call till Friday. Gupta owns a brick kiln and has other businesses.
"Pratik's abduction appears to be the handiwork of a notorious gangster, known for such crimes in the past. We have launched an operation to recover the boy," said Saharsa Superintendent of Police K. Singh.
In another incident, armed criminals abducted 12-year-old Manish Kumar, the son of a defence employee, in a village in Siwan district. Manish was abducted for ransom when he went out to play in a nearby field Thursday, say police.
Two days ago an activist of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Prem Paswan was abducted and killed by criminals in Patna district.
On Wednesday five rice traders were kidnapped but released when they promised to pay up.
Similarly, a newly elected ward councillor – Lalit Yadav of Supaul district – was abducted but later freed.
Meanwhile, 55 days after six-year-old Ankit was kidnapped from Patna, there has been no trace of him with police failing to come up with any clues. Two schoolboys abducted from Begusarai last month are yet to be found.
The Patna High Court last month ordered the Bihar government to recover 307 missing children and 432 missing women in the state and submit a report by Aug 2.