Police rescue 3 missing school students from Kotkhai; kidnapper arrested

One person has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping three 11-year-old students of Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. They were located from Kotkhai tehsil in Shimla district, police said here today.

The accused has been identified as Sumit Sood (45), a resident of Kokunala village in Kotkhai. According to reports, three students of Class VI, along with other school students, had gone for a routine outing and went missing on August 9. The students hail from Mohali, Karnal and Kullu.

Taking prompt action, the school principal approached the police to register a missing complaint. A case under Section 137 (B) (kidnapping) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, was registered in Police Station, New Shimla.

Police launched a search operation and thoroughly examined CCTV footage to trace the missing students. The search led the police to Kokunala village, where they found the boys from the residence of the accused, who had kept them locked inside a room of a multi-storeyed building.

Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, in a statement issued here stated that the students have been brought back to Shimla and further investigation — focused on CCTV footage, phone records and a call from a California-based virtual number — is ongoing.

He said that a suspicious vehicle provided a crucial lead during the investigation, due to which police were able to trace the students and the accused. The SSP said that the vehicle used in the incident has also been taken into custody.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur lauded the police officials for their prompt action.