Deekshith was kidnapped when he was playing outside his house in Mahabubabad on Sunday evening
Photo for representational purpose
A nine-year-old boy, who was kidnapped for Rs 45 lakh ransom five days ago in Telangana's Mahabubabad district, was found murdered on Thursday, police said.
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The charred body of Kusuma Deekshith Reddy, 9, son of a local journalist, was found on the hillocks on the outskirts of Annaram in Ksamudram mandal, about five km from Mahbubabad town.
Deekshith was kidnapped by an unidentified person when he was playing outside his house in Mahabubabad on Sunday evening.
Mahabubabad Superintendent of Police S Koti Reddy said though the kidnapper killed the boy within a couple hours after he was abducted, he called the boy's family every day to demand money.
Manda Sagar, 23, a bike mechanic, living near the house of Deekshith Reddy, has been arrested for kidnap and murder.
The police officer said the accused kidnapped the boy to make easy money. "After taking the boy to a secluded place, he realized that controlling the boy single handedly will be difficult. He strangulated the boy to death as he was worried that he may reveal the incident to his family," the SP said.
The accused then called the boy's mother Vasantha on her mobile phone around 9 pm and demanded Rs.45 lakh. He also warned her that if they inform the police the boy would be killed.
The kidnapper called the family almost every day through the Internet. On Wednesday, he asked them to arrange the money and bring it to Moodu Kotla locality.
Though the boy's father Ranjith Reddy, a contributor for a vernacular news channel, went there with the money in a bag, the kidnapper did not turn up. He waited there till Wednesday night.
The special teams formed by police following a complaint by the boy's parents had laid a trap to arrest the kidnapper.
The SP said they had questioned several suspects but investigations established that Manda Sagar acted alone.
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