HP students kidnapping: School alumnus planned for 8-10 days; familiar with protocol, says police

The breakthrough in the case came when the vehicle (with a Delhi registration number) used in the crime, was identified in CCTV footage. The suspected vehicle was seen heading towards Narkanda, then returning to Chaila, and later moving towards Kotkhai, the SP said.

The parents of the missing students received calls saying that their children were with a gang, but there was no explicit ransom demand.

A local youth, Raunak from Kotkhai, played a key role in cracking the case. Raunak, who works in Chol and is in the transport business, met two constables, Pawan and Hitesh, who showed him CCTV footage of the vehicle used in the crime.

“After seeing the footage, I was sure the vehicle belonged to Sood. I called him, but he didn’t answer. We then visited his house, checked the vehicle, and confirmed it was the same as in the footage,” Raunak said

He added that the car matched the CCTV footage, down to its broken bumper, damaged fog light, and distinctive reflector side mirrors. “Although the number plate was changed, these details confirmed it was the same car. Having been in the transport business for 15 years, I can easily identify vehicles by its features,” Raunak said, adding that it was difficult to believe that Sood was involved in such a crime, given his good behavior, education, and background, and that he had no known involvement with drugs.

Sumit was subsequently arrested.

The rescued students were from Mohali in Punjab, Hisar in Haryana and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, whose relative was one of the missing children, was also in Kotkhai with the police.

Raunak was later honoured by Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur with a Himachali cap and a shawl.

Kotkhai resident Sood was then arrested for allegedly kidnapping three minor students with the intention of demanding ransom. Police also recovered firearm, sharp-edged weapons, and a fake number plate from him. Sood reportedly told police that the recovered firearm is a licenced weapon registered in his father’s name.

Sood, an engineering graduate who studied at BCS till Class 8, was on Monday was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) Jyoti Bhagchandani and was remanded in two days of police custody.

Inspector Manoj Thakur, SHO of New Shimla Police Station, said, “We had sought Sood’s police custody to recreate the crime scene and to determine if he was alone or had accomplices. The students also recorded their statements under Section 183 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. They narrated the sequence of events on Saturday and Sunday. We are yet to receive copies of the statements.”

Sources said that Sood, who is married and has two daughters, had started various ventures such as opening a departmental store but those failed to take off. He is also believed to have suffered financial losses in the stock market.

Meanwhile, BCS announced that it will implement stringent safety measures. Speaking to the media on the school premises alongside Shimla (Urban) MLA and BCS alumnus Harish Janartha, Headmaster Mathew P John said, “From now on, no student — even seniors — will be allowed to go on outings or travel home without adult supervision. The school will also seek police assistance in drafting robust and practical safety guidelines.”

Janartha said that BCS has traditionally had different outing rules for juniors and seniors: “Children up to Class V are accompanied by teachers, while those in Classes VI–VIII have allowed to go out in groups.”

He said Sood was aware that the school caters to children from affluent families and also knew the school’s outing schedules. “It seems the children were not specifically targeted, and the accused, whose financial condition is poor, picked them at random,” Janartha said, adding that things are under control, and “we will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future”.