A shocking case of kidnapping and torture has emerged from Ludhiana, where a 15-year-old boy became the victim of a horrific case of mistaken identity. The teenager was abducted, brutally assaulted, and his ordeal was broadcast live to his parents as part of a ransom demand, only for his captors to later discover they had targeted the wrong individual.
The Horrific Abduction and Assault
The incident occurred in the Fauji Colony area of Ludhiana. The victim, a local boy, was on his way to a shop to buy kites when his routine errand turned into a nightmare. A group of nine men, traveling on three motorcycles, intercepted the boy on the street. They forcibly took him to a property located near Atam Park.
At this secluded spot, the assailants subjected the minor to severe physical torture. They stripped him and beat him mercilessly with leather belts and rubber pipes. In a cruel move to extort money, the kidnappers recorded the entire assault. They then placed a video call to the boy's father, Krishna Kumar.
During the chilling call, the gang demanded a ransom of Rs 20,000 for the boy's release. To further terrorize the family, one of the accused allegedly brandished a pistol on camera, threatening the boy's parents.
A Bizarre Turn: The Wrong Target
The case took a strange and unexpected turn when the kidnappers abruptly released the teenager near the RK Road railway crossing. It was revealed that the entire violent episode was a result of mistaken identity. The gang had intended to abduct a different youth from the same locality, whom they suspected of being involved in drug peddling.
"The accused wanted to kidnap another youngster from the locality whom they believed to be involved in drug peddling," the victim's father, Krishna Kumar, explained to local media. "They mistakenly kidnapped my son instead." After realizing their error, the captors let the traumatized boy go.
Police Action and Criminal Motive
Following a complaint, the Moti Nagar police swiftly launched an investigation. They have arrested the main suspect, identified as Bindu, and seized a country-made pistol along with 13 live cartridges from his possession. Police are conducting raids to apprehend the eight other accomplices who are currently on the run. Four named suspects are Shivam, Sunny, and Naveen.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Inderjit Singh Boparai provided insight into the gang's motives. He described the group as "petty criminals" attempting to re-establish their dominance in the neighborhood. This push for control came in the aftermath of a fatal gang clash that occurred several months prior.
"The accused wanted to exert their influence in the area again," ACP Boparai stated. "They kidnapped and thrashed a teenaged boy to instill fear among the locals so that the public would not oppose their criminal activities." The police also confirmed that the arrested main accused, Bindu, was previously known to the family of the kidnapped boy.
The Punjab Police have filed a strong case under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The charges include sections 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, 126(2) for wrongful restraint, 351(2) for criminal intimidation, and 190 for unlawful assembly offenses. Additional charges have been pressed under the Arms Act Section 25.
