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Bangalore boy rescued from abductors

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE NOV. 15. In a joint operation, the Bangalore city and Bagalkot district police on Friday night rescued an eight-year-old boy who was kidnapped from Nandini Layout Police Station limits here on November 7.

The Bangalore Police Commissioner, S. Mariswamy, told presspersons here today that Bharath alias Rishab, son of Manjunath, an automobile spare parts dealer, was rescued from kidnappers who had kept him at a house at Mutge village in Basavanabagewadi taluk of Bagalkot district.

Mr. Mariswamy said Bharath had been kidnapped by a former employee of his uncle, Jagadish, and the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs. 30 lakhs for his release. Two persons have been arrested in this connection.Bharath is safe and in good health. A team of police officials and Mr. Manjunath have gone to Bagalkot district to bring back Bharath, Mr. Mariswamy said.

The Police Commissioner said that Shivanand Hadpad of Basavanabagewadi, who was employed in a computer firm owned by Mr. Jagadish, had masterminded the kidnapping. The computer firm has since been sold, but Hadpad continues to be employed there. On November 7, Hadpad came to Mr. Manjunath's house and saw Bharath playing cricket. Hadpad told Bharath that his father had asked him to bring him to his office and took him to Tumkur where three others joined him, Mr. Mariswamy said. Later, Mr. Manjunath lodged a missing complaint with the Nandini Layout Police Station.

Two days later, Mr. Manjunath received a call. The caller claimed that the boy was in his custody and demanded Rs. 3 lakhs for his release. After Mr. Manjunath agreed to pay the sum, the kidnappers revised their demand and sought Rs. 30 lakhs for the boy's release, he said.

The police, who started monitoring the telephone calls made to Mr. Manjunath's house, traced them to Majestic and Shivajinagar areas in Bangalore. The kidnappers called Mr. Manjunath and said his son was safe and he could talk to him on Saturday, the Police Commissioner said. The police traced the telephone number from which the call had been made to Basavanabagewadi and alerted the Bagalkot Superintendent of Police. The Bagalkot police located the place from where the call was made. They raided the place and rescued Bharath.

The police have arrested Shivanand Hadpad's brother and Shantanagouda Biradar. Shivanand and another associate are at large.

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