Pune:
The Rawals are still in shock, unable to come to terms with the gruesome murder of their five-year-old son, Shubh. He had gone out to play in the evening but never came back. He was kidnapped and later strangled to death allegedly by a college student for a ransom of Rs five lakh.
The incident that occurred in Pune on Sunday night seemed straight out of a grisly film plot - police say that Parminder Suvarna Singh, a 19-year-old student of hotel management and the main accused, hatched the conspiracy along with a minor, hoping to make money by abducting the only child of what they believed were rich parents. Shubh's parents, Sukeshree and Bhupendra Rawal are scientists, working at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) and Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune respectively.
On that fateful Sunday evening, Shubh, like any other day, was playing near the Ganpati
mandal at the ARDE complex with friends. Police say that Parminder called out Shubh but the latter didn't respond. Parminder had tied a piece of cloth around his face at the time. Later, he removed the cloth and called out Shubh again. This time, Shubh responded and came to him. The accused lured Shubh into buying a chocolate and the innocent, unsuspecting boy readily agreed to come with him. But Parminder had other plans; he took Shubh to the nearby Pashan Hills.
There, Parminder asked Shubh for his father's number but the latter refused to divulge. Finding himself alone with a stranger, little Shubh started crying and threatened Parminder of complaining about him to his father.
This angered Parminder, who, in a fit of rage, allegedly strangled Shubh's neck and later, gagged him to death with a handkerchief.
The police have arrested Parminder and his associate, a Class X student of the Army Public School in Pune Cantonment. Both have been booked for murder following a complaint lodged by Shubh's father.
Police say that it was the minor accused who told Parminder about the hefty salaries earned by Shubh's parents. In fact, he also suggested the idea of kidnapping Shubh. Parminder, who wanted to buy a motorcycle, became part of the plan.
Cops also say Parminder borrowed the idea from a newspaper report wherein a few people had managed to extort Rs 7 lakh in a separate case of kidnapping and successfully gave the police a slip.