Accused killed boy before making ransom calls: Cops

Last Sunday,Gaud and his accomplice scoured the area and found the victim playing near his residence. Manish asked the accomplice to find out how much the kid’s family could pay as ransom,the police said. “The accomplice told him that the boy’s father,Shivsharan Vishvakarma,could pay Rs 50,000. The two then kidnapped the boy and took him in an autorickshaw to their friend’s house. The friend however refused to keep the child,” said an officer.

When the two saw their plan failing,they decided to drop the kid back where they picked him up from,the officer said. “However,Gaud changed his plan and told his aide to leave as he would try to keep the kid with another friend at Aksa,” the officer said. “Manish,instead,took the boy to the swamps in Charkop and strangulated him with the victim’s own trousers,” said the officer.

He then allegedly poured kerosene the child’s body and tried to burn it but as it was raining,the clothes did not catch fire. Manish then covered his body with a car cover.

Meanwhile,the victim’s family had lodged a missing person report in Kandivali police station. “When Manish reached his house,he found that Vishvakarma was looking for the boy. Manish pretended to search for the boy and a day later,used a robbed mobile phone to call Vishvakarma for ransom. He asked the latter to hand over the money to his accomplice,” said Hareshwar Pimple,senior inspector. Manish made two ransom calls in three days and asked Vishwakarma to hand over the money to the 17-year-old.

The police,now suspecting the 17-year-old,detained him. The teenager told the police about Gaud’s plan,based on which the cops arrested the latter. The accomplice has been sent to the children’s home in Dongri.