UP: Kids were kidnapped for ransom, shot dead after family sought police’s help

MEERUT: A day after the gruesome murder of three children in Bulandshahr came to light, local police arrested two suspects, Bilal and Imran on Sunday. The main suspect Salman Malik is still at large and several teams have been pressed into action to trace him.
In the shocking triple murder case – which was purportedly triggered by the main suspect not being invited to an iftar party - three children, all aged eight, were kidnapped for ransom, kept captive and then shot dead and dumped in a tubewell reservoir when the kids’ family sought police help.
According to police, Malik is a hardened criminal. At least eight cases were lodged against him at different police stations in Delhi from 2009 to 2019. “Malik is currently wanted in five cases in Delhi and was desperately on the look out to make some money for hiring a lawyer, getting bail and other spending,” said Bulandshahr SSP N Kolanchi.
“Malik was upset after he was humiliated by the father of one of the children when he and Bilal had turned up at his home recently. Malik felt further insulted when he was not invited for iftar on May 24,” SSP Kolanchi said, claiming it to be one of the triggers of the crime.
It all started when Malik and Bilal kidnapped the children by luring them with chocolates and kept them captive at Imran’s place in Mirzapur area. The duo then returned and Bilal began helping the family in their frenetic search to avoid any suspicion. Bilal also kept Malik and Imran posted on the search and alerted them when the family approached police for help late on Friday night. Sensing trouble, Malik killed all the three children and dumped them in a tubewell reservoir.
The crime, according to police, had occurred in Faislabad locality of Bulandshahr from where the children were picked up. Their bodies were found 15 km away in Dhatoori village under Salempur police station on Saturday morning.
The three murdered children were identified as Abdul, Aasma and Aleeba. Their bodies were dumped inside a tubewell reservoir located in a cane field. “All the three children were shot dead. Bullet wounds show that more than one shot was fired at the children. Bloodstains were found at several places,” the police added.