’Kidnappers panicked, killed boy’

Police say victim's family may have known assailants

'Kidnappers panicked, killed boy'

Police say victim's family may have known assailants

If the kidnappers of 16-year-old Ribhu Chawla hadn't panicked, maybe the Class 11 student would have been alive today.

That's what the cops investigating the sensational kidnap-murder case are hinting at. Sources in the police also revealed that the kidnapper might have been known to the family of the victim. "We suspect the involvement of someone close to the family. The abductors seem to have killed the boy for the fear of getting caught," said an officer investigating the case.

"Ribhu and his friend Sushant were riding a bike near their apartment when two unidentified men in a Wagon R car approached them and started beating up Ribhu. They dragged the boy into the car and sped away. They hit out at Sushant as well when he intervened," said a senior cop, involved in investigation of the case.

Ribhu's grieving family. pics/Mid-Day

The kidnappers called up Ribhu's father Sanjay Chawla, a businessman, on Tuesday evening and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh. However, it is not clear whether the family paid the money or not. Sushant and few other eyewitnesses called up the Police Control Room and even noted down the number of the kidnappers' car. However, the police could not trace it.

"Inspection of the scene suggests Ribhu was murdered inside the ruins and later his body was dragged out so that passersby could notice it. The assailants may have first tried to choke him to death before inflicting knife wounds," said the police officer.

Ribhu's body was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for post-mortem and was later handed over to his family.

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