HYDERABAD: The shocking abduction of a 15-year-old boy, who was eventually murdered, had been inspired by a Telugu movie, the Hyderabad police have claimed on Sunday. Three young men have been arrested for the death of Abhay Modani, a 10th class student, who had been abducted last week at Hindi Nagar in Goshamahal. His body was later found in a carton near a hotel at Secunderabad Railway Station.
The accused were identified as Sheshu Kumar alias Sairam (20), the prime accused who was known to the boy, Pondara Ravi (21) and Namburi Mohan (23). The police said the kidnappers have claimed that they got the idea of the abduction from a low-budget Telugu film.
Briefing the media, Hyderabad police chief M Mahender Reddy said the three, who had come in contact with each other when they worked in Ranchi and also in Berhampore in Odisha in 2014, had watched a film and planned the abduction. “On March 14, the trio watched Telugu film ‘Oka Romantic Crime Katha’ on YouTube, plot of which revolves around snatching and kidnapping offences. After watching it, they decided to kidnap for ransom.”
Sai had worked in Abhay’s neighbourhood and had become friendly with Abhay over the last six months. Abhay would use latest gadgets, so Sai concluded he was from an affluent family. “Sai, who wanted money to finance his desire to become a film star, had claimed that he hatched the plan along with his two friends to kidnap Abhay and demand a ransom,” said Mr Reddy.
As per their plan, the trio purchased duct tape, SIM cards and a new cell phone. Sai kept a watch on Abhay. On March 16, at 4.49 pm, when Abhay went to Mahalakshmi tiffins to buy snacks, Sai waited near Abhay’s house. At 5 pm, when the victim was returning home on his scooter, Sai, who was standing nearby, sought a lift from him. “Abhay readily gave Sai a lift on the evening of March 16 and ended up being kidnapped,” the officer said.
He then took the boy to his room. “While Abhay was riding the scooter, he got several calls from his house. Sai then advised Abhay to ride pillion and took over the scooter and took him to his flat,” the commissioner said.
“On entering the flat, Sai introduced his friends to Abhay and they offered him a soft drink. The boy had suffocated to death after the men taped his mouth to stop him from raising an alarm and had gone to buy new sim cards for their phones,” the police chief said.
When they returned to the flat at 7.05 pm, Abhay was motionless. The trio realised that Abhay died. Perturbed by this, the trio allegedly packed the boy’s body in a refrigerator carton and went up to Secunderabad Railway Station, where they dumped it and boarded a train to Vijayawada. Their movement across the city was captured on multiple CCTV cameras from both cities.
In the first of the visuals from Hyderabad, Abhay is seen riding pillion behind Sai. After the ransom call was traced to Secunderabad, CCTV visuals from there showed someone dumping the box by the road near a hotel.
Police tracked them down between Berhampur in adjoining Odisha and Icchapuram of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and arrested them on Saturday.