Gang tries to extort Rs 50 lakh to 'release' dead boy


A madrasa teacher and two others have been arrested for demanding Rs 50 lakh to hand over a 12-year-old boy who was already dead, killed by another gang which had kidnapped him last year.

The boy’s decomposed body was found days after his kidnapping and his alleged killers, three juveniles, nabbed.

But last week, the madrasa teacher and his accomplices told the boy’s father that he was still alive and in their possession, police said on Wednesday.

Mohammad Burahanuddin, Sameer and Billa were nabbed in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur. Burahanuddin is a mufti at a madrasa.

On January 20, Jafrabad-based businessman Mehraz Hassan received a call on his mobile phone, demanding the money. “They claimed that his son Adi was in their possession,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East) Veenu Bansal.

Another ransom call was made on Jan 21 following which Mehraz filed a complaint with Jafrabad police station.

A case under sections 387 (putting person in fear of death to commit extortion) and 507 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code was registered. A police team went to Saharanpur and arrested the three men.

Burahanuddin told police that he had met Mehraz in December 2015. Mehraz believed in Burahanuddin’s spiritual powers, police said. As Adi’s body was decomposed and couldn’t be identified, Mehraz believed that he may have been still alive.

Burahanuddin told Mehraz that he will find a solution. At the same time, Burahanuddin conspired with a man named Tabrez to extort money with the help of his associates.

“Tabrez and his accomplices had made the ransom call. Mehraz was threatened not to inform police,” Bansal said.

Last year, three juveniles living in the neighbourhood were apprehended for kidnapping and killing Mehraz’s son. They had told police that they kidnapped Adi on September 13, kept his body at a rented accommodation for 24 hours, and later dumped it near a railway track in northeast Delhi’s Mansarovar Park.

“They first forced Adi to consume cannabis and then strangled him,” Bansal added.
The three juveniles were apprehended when they made a call to Mehraz demanding Rs 10 lakh.
Mehraz lives with his wife and two sons.