Madhya Pradesh School Owner Among 6 Arrested For Kidnapping 11-Year-Old

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested the owner of a school and five others in connection with the kidnapping and murder of an 11-year-old boy for ransom, a day after the minor's body was found in Ramnagar locality of Bhind district, an official said.

The victim, Aryan Sharma, had been kidnapped on Tuesday while he was playing near the RKD school, located close to his house here and adjacent to the railway station, by the 32-year-old owner of the school as the latter wanted to make up for the losses he had suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and to online betting, Superintendent of Police (SP) Shailendra Singh Chauhan told reporters.

The accused strangled Aryan to death due to fear of his arrest after police launched a massive operation to crack the mystery surrounding the boy's disappearance. He killed the minor with the help of his relatives, while a man from his locality threw the body in a bid to destroy the evidence, the official said.

"The school owner kidnapped the boy for ransom as he had suffered huge losses during the coronavirus period when offline schooling remained suspended. He had even recorded a video of the minor while the latter was in his possession with the intention of sending it to his parents to demand ransom. But he couldn't sent the video due to poor internet connectivity," Chauhan said.

The accused have been charged for kidnapping, murder and other charges, the SP added.

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