Ahmedabad: Fifteen-year-old Shaktisinh Jhala's body was taken out of a well on Thursday, two days after he was kidnapped by his own friends. The teenager left his home in Sanand city in Gujarat after getting a call from one of his friends, but he never returned. On Wednesday, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of two crores. That's when the family went to the police, but it was too late.
"His grandfather Manubhai informed us that the callers had demanded two crores for his release," said Police Inspector of Sanand M M Jhala.
Shakti's grandfather Manubhai Jhala had made a fortune through recent land deals in Sanand, a growing industrial hub that will soon see a Nano production unit.
Shakti's friends allegedly planned the kidnapping for a quick buck and even made a failed attempt a few days ago. Two of the four accused were traced through cellphone records. They have confessed to the crime.
But there was anger in the boy's neighbourhood. Locals said Shakti could have been saved, if only the police had acted fast.