Bid to kidnap boy foiled near Namakkal

NAMAKKAL: A bid to kidnap a four-year-old boy for ransom by an unidentified man near here was foiled on Sunday, with the abductor abandoning the boy and taking to his heels on seeing a sizeable police team waiting to nab him.  

According to police, Balasubramani, 32, a resident of Alathur Nadu area in Kollimalai hills near Namakkal is a farmer also working as supervisor at a construction site. He has two daughters and a son Boopathi. On Friday night, his wife Malarkodi was sleeping outside their house, while two girls and boy were sleeping inside the house.

When the farmer returned home on Saturday, he was shocked to find his son missing. He could not find him even after searching at various places in and around the village. Meanwhile, his relative Thangaraj received a phone call from a man, who demanded Rs 5 lakh as ransom to release the boy.

Acting on a complaint from the farmer, the district SP instantly ordered a search for the boy by a special team. The abductor called again instructing the boy’s parents to deliver the cash at Alandhur Nadu inside the Periyamangalam forest area.  

With police help, Balasubramani reached the spot with cash on hand on Sunday afternoon when the accompanying police personnel cordoned the area immediately. Seeing the police’s presence in good strength, the abductor left the boy and fled the spot. After rescuing the boy, police launched a search to nab the culprit. A police officer said, “The man may be from a nearby area and he would be caught soon.”