CRPF constable held for abduction, murder of 8-year-old boy in Gujarat

Bharuch: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and murdering an 8-year-old boy from his neighbourhood in Ankleshwar city of Gujarat's Bharuch district, police said Saturday.

Shailendra Rajput, whose current posting is Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh, had kidnapped the child and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh from his father as he was in debt due to losses in the stock market, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Kushal Oza said.

Victim Subham Rajpal went missing around 1.30 pm on Thursday, and his family informed the police in the evening the same day, Oza told reporters.

Police found the body of the boy, with hands and feet tied and mouth taped, in Rajput’s house on Saturday, the official said.

Rajput had allegedly lured the minor to his home and confined him in his bid to demand money from his parents to pay off his debts, the police official said.

Prima facie, it appeared that the boy died within 3-4 hours of being abducted. Despite knowing that the victim was dead, Rajput sent a message to his parents the next day, demanding Rs 5 lakh for his “release”.

The child’s parents alerted the police after the ransom demand and cops used technical and human surveillance to track down the CRPF constable and arrest him, he said.

The accused was unable to dispose of the body due to the presence of the police in the area after the boy’s disappearance, Oza said.