Murder of trader’s son sparks unrest in Siwan

PATNA: Tension prevailed at Siwan town following recovery of the body of Vishnu Rajkumar alias Rahul Kumar (11) from a roadside ditch under Muffassil police station on Friday. The boy, son of Raj Kumar Gupta, owner of a garment shop in Siwan town, had gone missing on Wednesday evening.
An irate mob torched a riot control vehicle of district police near sadar hospital. Police later used mild force to disperse the agitating crowd.
Police sources said the body, packed in a sack, was spotted by villagers who informed the matter to the police in the wee hours of Friday. Sources said a villager, who was sleeping in a cattle shed in the area, told police that a pick up van reached the spot at around 3.30am and sped away after throwing a sack. The kidnappers had made two calls to the boy’s father on Thursday, asking him to meet them, the sources added.
Siwan SP Saurabh Kumar Sah said the boy had stepped out of his home around 7pm on Wednesday when his parents were not present. “Instead of going to his father’s shop, the boy headed towards the bus stand. His mother was not at home as she had gone to her paternal house for Rakshabandhan. Seeing the boy alone, someone known to his father kidnapped him for ransom,” the SP added.
He said the boy’s father reported the matter to police around 9pm on Wednesday. “We conducted raids and detained two persons for interrogation. The kidnappers probably killed the boy fearing arrest,” the SP said, adding raids are on to arrest the kidnappers.