KIDNAPPING CASE
Booked Army jawan detained
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, July 16
Just two days after the police booked an Army jawan for allegedly abducting a 14-year-old boy, who went missing near the LoC, near here, last week, the police investigations suggest that the Army man had actually committed the crime.

After a complaint from Daleep Kumar that his son Yogesh Choudhary had been abducted by Army jawan Ram Lal in the Ser Makri forward area in Nowshera belt here, the police had booked Ram Lal of 25 Rajputana Regiment, hailing from Ambala in Haryana, for abduction, a senior police official had told a news agency. A case of kidnapping has been registered against the Army jawan, who was on transfer to Assam, police sources added.

During preliminary investigation, Ram Lal had expressed ignorance about the boy, the police said, adding the accused had been detained at his Battalion Headquarters near Nowshera here and had not been allowed to go on leave. The villagers also held a protest over the disappearance and demanded restoring the boy to the family immediately.

A police source, who is in the investigators told The Tribune that investigations reveal that the army man might have lured the minor

through monetary benefits for working in his land or for some other reasons ‘including for sexually exploitation of the minor’. They added that initial investigations suggest that he might have been abducted by the Army man.

“We are also investigating the case. But the boy went missing a day later after the jawan went on leave,” Lt-Col Biplab Nath, Jammu-based defence spokesperson had told mediapersons.

However, ASP, Nowshera, RK Bhat said, “The accused has been detained at his battalion headquarters near Nowshera town. He never went on leave as we are questioning him to ascertain facts in the case.”