Three days after a kidnapped 13-year-old boy of Gandarvakottai was rescued, special police teams arrested two college students in connection with the case on Friday.
The accused, G. Premkumar alias Prem (21) and R. Rajeshkanna (21), are third-year B.B.A students at a private college in Thanjavur.
The teams seized Rs. 9.45 lakh in cash given as ransom by the boy’s father V. Arunachalam to the kidnappers.
Field-level intelligence information and vital inputs given by the boy, A. Alagesan, helped the teams to nab the kidnappers, Inspector-General of Police, Central Zone, M. Ramasubramani told reporters on Friday.
A joint operation by the police personnel of Pudukottai and Thanjavur districts led to the arrest of the two accused, Mr. Ramasubramani said, adding that the probe would continue to find out if more persons were involved.
Alagesan, a Standard VIII student, was kidnapped from Kothampatti village on June 15. The kidnappers demanded a huge amount of money as ransom from the boy’s father. The boy was rescued in the early hours on Tuesday at Vallam in Thanjavur after Arunachalam paid Rs. 10 lakh as ransom “on his own.”
Mr. Ramasubramani said eight teams comprising 100 police personnel were formed to rescue Alagesan.
The accused had taken a house for rent at Vallam on June 11 and confined the boy there.
Identifying Prem as the brain behind the kidnap, Mr. Ramasubramani said the accused wanted to make quick money. The kidnappers who initially demanded Rs. 50 lakh came down to Rs. 10 lakh.
A house-to-house search was conducted and 1,000 persons were interrogated with the operation monitored by the DIG, Tiruchi range A. Amalraj. Field-level intelligence information and crucial inputs provided by the boy helped the teams to nab the college students.
The teams fanned out to various places, including Chennai, Pudukottai and Kumbakonam and apprehended the duo at Thanjavur.
A motorcycle and a cell phone were also recovered from the accused.
