International para judo player, accomplice held for kidnapping 9-year-old in Haryana’s Jhajjar

The Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two individuals, including an international para judo player and his brother-in-law, on charges of kidnapping a nine-year-old boy, son of a private nursing college owner, and demanding a ransom of Rs 5 crore on March 4 during Holi celebrations. The child was released by the accused after receiving the ransom, having been held captive for nearly eight hours.

Addressing a press conference in Bahadurgarh town, STF SP Vikrant Bhushan identified the accused as Monu, a resident of Kansala village in Rohtak district, and Manish, a resident of Barani village in Jhajjar district. The accused had been planning the kidnapping and demanding ransom for nearly 20 days. Two other accomplices involved in the crime are currently absconding, and a search operation has been launched to trace them.

“Monu is an international para judo player who has represented India in the Asian Para Games and won 11 medals in national-level competitions. Manish used to work at the gaushala owned by the victim's family and was familiar with their routine,” Bhushan said.

The SP stated that the accused kidnapped the child in a vehicle and demanded Rs 5 crore as ransom for his release. After receiving the ransom, the accused abandoned the child in the Rohtak bypass area.

“Neither of the arrested accused has any previous criminal record. Both will be handed over to the Jhajjar police for further investigation. We will also question the accused to ascertain how the ransom amount was distributed and identify and arrest the remaining accomplices. The ransom amount will be recovered,” Bhushan added.