Kidnapped minor rescued from Anand

Vadodara, Jul 2 (UNI) Abductors of a seven-year-old son of a city-based share broker , who had demanded a ransom of Rs 25 lakh, released the child unhurt at Anand late last night.

Minutes after the child was taken into police custody at around 0030 hrs, the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) sleuths nabbed a 30-year-old youth from a taxi at the Inox multiplex on the posh Race Course circle here. The youth was reportedly sent there by the kidnappers to collect the ransom money from the boy's parents.

The child, Joy Patel, was kidnapped by two unidentified persons in a white Maruti Zen at the Kailash Park Society near Akota stadium at about 1500 hrs yesterday while he along with his nine-year-old sister, Tirtha, were going to attend their tuition classes close to their house.

Briefing reporters about the night-long operation here today, Vadodara Additional Police commissioner V M Pargi said the kidnappers seemed to have had no option, but to leave the boy near the Nyay Mandir at Anand because of continued police pressure and search operations in the area.

According to the boy's parents -- Pratik Patel and Harshitaben -- the first ransom call from the kidnappers was received by the latter on her mobile phone about two-and-a-half hours after Joy was kidnapped.

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