The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Long phone conversation helps police trace boy's kidnappers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 29, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Long phone conversation helps police trace boy's kidnappers

Staff Reporter

He was rescued near Kolar after police opened fire at two of the abductors

CHEERFUL: Imran Baig's family members celebrate after his rescue, in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: A long conversation on a mobile phone helped the police to track down the kidnappers of 16-year-old Imran Baig and rescue him on Wednesday night.

He was rescued on the outskirts of Kolar after the police opened fire at two of the abductors, Chand Pasha, and Nazaruddin.

The injured abductors were caught and based on their information, another team of police rushed to a house at Old Madivala in Bangalore where Imran was kept. Imran was rescued after a scuffle with Nasir who was keeping a watch on the boy.

Imran was kidnapped on Monday from his shop in Koramangala. Chand Pasha was Imran's acquaintance.

Attacked

The police arrested all the three kidnappers. In Kolar, Chand Pasha and Nazaruddin attempted to escape by attacking the police with machetes. Two police officers were injured in the attack. "The police fired at the accused, injuring them," Police Commissioner Neelam Achuta Rao told presspersons here on Thursday.

Imran and his father Sher Ali were presented before presspersons on Thursday. Relating how he was kidnapped, Imran said Chand Pasha approached him on Monday seeking wooden poles on rent.

Imran quoted Rs. 70 as rent for each pole. Pasha said the price was high and asked Imran to speak to a "woman" sitting inside a car nearby.

The "woman" was Nazaruddin clad in a "burqa". "She" agreed to pay Imran Rs. 70 for each pole. "Nazaruddin asked me to come in his car to collect the money from a place nearby. I did not agree and asked him to take the poles after making the payment," Imran said.

At that point, Chand Pasha pushed the boy inside the car and drove away. "I was hit and later blindfolded. The car was driven till midnight after which I was kept in a house," Imran said. Nazir was asked to keep a watch on the boy, while Chand Pasha and Nazaruddin left with Imran's mobile phone.

Ransom

The kidnappers initially demanded Rs. 25 lakh as ransom. Sher Ali sought two days to pay them Rs. 5 lakh for which they agreed. The kidnappers used Imran's mobile phone to negotiate the ransom to be paid. The kidnappers on Wednesday asked Sher Ali to come to Kolar with the money.

Sher Ali reached the spot and engaged in a long conversation with the kidnappers on phone about the location and other details. This helped the police to trace the abductors and take them by surprise.

The police alerted the Madivala police who rushed to the house where Imran was lodged and freed him.

Chand Pasha was recently released on bail in a double murder case at Hosur in Tamil Nadu.

The police officers involved in the operation included Assistant Commissioners of Police B.K. Shivaram, Ramesh Chandra, D. Venkatesh, and Police Inspectors P.S. Sudershan, Badarinath, B.K. Umesh, Iter, Siddaramaiah, Chandrappa and Siddappa. The Police Commissioner presented Rs. 25,000 as reward for the personnel involved in the operation.

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