In a gruesome incident, four school boys in a Chhattisgarh town abducted their friend for ransom and later brutally killed him by smashing head when his father sought the police help to rescue him, official reports reaching here said.
The mutilated body of 15-year-old Saurabh Kerketta, a Class 11 student, was recovered at a secluded area near Ambikapur in Sarguja district on Friday morning after the main accused — a friend and neighbour of the victim’s family — was arrested along with three of his accomplices, the police said.
The probe revealed that Saurabh was allegedly kidnapped by the four on his way to school on April 10.
The day Saurabh was abducted, the accused allegedly dropped a letter in his house demanding Rs 70 lakhs as ransom. They wanted Saurabha’s father J.S. Kerketta to pay Rs 15 lakh as first instalment within 24 hours.
But the family lodged a complaint with the local police for help to rescue the boy. This infuriated the abductors, who mercilessly eliminated him.