A 10-year-old boy in Malda has been allegedly abducted by one of his relatives for ransom.

His family has filed a complaint at English Bazar police station, mentioning that the boy has been taken to Katihar in Bihar.

Sources said Jahira Khatun, a resident of Mansahi village of Katihar district, got married to Halim Sheikh, a resident of Jadupur in Malda, around a year ago.

On July 8, Jahira told her husband and in-laws that she wanted to visit her parents.

“As she was preparing to leave, my brother said that he wanted to go with her. We were initially reluctant but later let him go,” said Halim. The boy is a Class V student in a local school.

Halim and his family members were caught by surprise the very next day when Jahira sent a video to them. “We were shocked to see that my brother was being beaten as she demanded ₹2 lakh for his release. We can’t arrange the amount and don’t know what is in store for my brother,” he added.

Nafisa Khatun, a member of the boy’s family, alleged that the police initially didn’t want to register their complaint.

The police, however, denied the charge. “We have registered a case and are conducting an inquiry. Our officers are gathering information about the boy’s whereabouts so that he can be rescued,” said a police officer.

Kidnap cuffs

The police in Alipurduar have arrested two more persons in connection with the abduction attempt of a minor boy in Hasimara.

On Thursday, two persons abducted a boy for ransom. The police, however, acted promptly and rescued the boy. They also nabbed Bablu Jaiswal, the principal accused, along with a firearm.

Y. Raghuvamshi, the district police chief of Alipurduar, said they have arrested Samir Rai and Jabbar Ansari who are from Kalchini. On Friday, they were produced in a local court and have been sent to police custody for four days, sources said.

Additional Reporting by Our Alipurduar Correspondent