Commandos nab kidnapper, rescue boy, grandma in daring operation

For the NSG, it was the first operation of its kind in the Capital. Although trained in hostage-rescue operations, their expertise had never been tested in local situations.

Rahul, the son of railway contractor RC Kapoor, and his 80-year-old grandmother Lajwanti, were imprisoned by the kidnapper inside a room in their B-2, Keshavpuram house from around 2 p.m. till 10.30 p.m.

The drama began in the afternoon, when 22-year-old labourer Som Pal arrived on the family8217;s front door asking if there was any work to be done around the house.

8220;I told him that there was no immediate work for him. He had earlier done the flooring in our house,8221; said the mother of the little boy, Sneh Kapoor, standing outside the ICU of Sunder Lal Jain Hospital, where Rahul suffering from acute trauma had been admitted.

Sneh had let the kidnapper into the house after identifying him from the mesh door.

8220;He asked for a glass of water and I went into the kitchen to fetch it. When I came out, I saw that he had a knife and had taken Rahul away into the bedroom. He was demanding Rs 3 lakh for my son8217;s release,8221; she said.

Her husband rushed home, then called the police. They arrived on the scene at 3 p.m. 8220;We did not identify ourselves as the police and tried negotiating with the man,8221; said Deputy Commissioner of Police, north-west, Satyendra Garg. All the Delhi Police officers, including Joint Commissioner, northern range, Suresh Rai, were in plainclothes posing as relatives.

8220;He wanted the cash and we asked the family to arrange for Rs 3 lakh. We thought we would storm in when he opened the door to take the money. But we couldn8217;t,8221; Garg said.

But with every passing minute, the pressure kept mounting and residents started getting restive saying the Delhi Police was giving up on the child.

8220;The kidnapper asked for water and we tried mixing sedatives in it. But he warned us saying that he would drink the water only after giving it to the child,8221; said Garg.

Around 4 p.m., after getting his ransom money, Som Pal demanded a revolver. 8220;We said we were all civilians here and could not get a revolver for him,8221; Garg said. But this only led to a stalemate.

That was when the police decided to call up the Home Ministry, and ask for help from the National Security Guards.

Led by Captain PK Kaushik, the NSG finished the operation in half an hour. The drama ended with the arrest of the kidnapper, but five of the commandos were injured in the action. 8220;We assessed the situation and broke open the door with the help of a common charge,8221; said Kaushik.

While the boy escaped unhurt, the grandmother is reported to have suffered minor injuries from flying glass in the impact of the explosion. One of the Kapoor8217;s neighbours was also injured in the melee following the operation.

Som Pal, who was overpowered by NSG personnel, also suffered minor injuries in the face and abdomen. The police have arrested him and registered a case of kidnapping and wrongful confinement.