Bihar: Kidnapped for Rs 50-lakh ransom, abductors murder late JDU leader's son fearing arrest

In a grotesque case, abductors allegedly murdered son of a late JDU leader fearing arrest in Bihar’s Siwan. Body of the 14-year-old student was found from Siwan during late night search on Wednesday. "Abductors killed him fearing arrest after a search and rescue operation was launched," Siwan Superintendent of Police Navin Chandra Jha was quoted as saying by IANS. Giving further details, KK Mishra, ASP, Siwan, said that four people have been arrested, further investigation is underway.

The victim has been identified as Rahul Kumar. He was class 7 student of Kendriya Vidayalya. Son of late JDU leader Surendra Patel, Kumar was kidnapped on Wednesday. The abductors had demanded rs 50-lakh ransom from the family.

Official crime data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that the reported rate of child abductions has risen at a far sharper pace than the overall crime rate in the country. According to an Indian Express report, child kidnapping has seen a worrisome rise in recent times. In 2016, 54,723 children were kidnapped across India. The home ministry’s report said that the 2016 number showed consistent rise vis a vis 2015 and 2014. In 2015, 41,893 children were kidnapped, in 2014 37,854 kids were abducted across the country. The government report also highlighted the fact the conviction rate was mere 22.7% in such cases.

More than 20 people have been lynched over the last two months on suspicion of child lifting, the latest being the killing of five men in Maharashtra's Dhule district on July 1. "Even though most of the lynchings in the recent past were fuelled by rumours of child lifting on social media, the statistics show that the fear of child kidnapping among people, especially those in the rural areas, is not completely unfounded," a ministry official said.

The MHA report said 1,06,958 cases of crime against children were registered in the country in 2016 compared to 94,172 in 2015, an increase of 13.6 per cent.

Crimes were committed against 24 per one lakh children in 2016, according to the report.

A major increase in crime against children was noticed (in 2016) under "human trafficking, kidnapping and abduction, Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act and Juvenile Justice Act", the report had said.