An eight-year-old boy was kidnapped from Dakshin Kananada's Ujire area and abductors demanded bitcoins. The kidnappers demanded 100 bitcoins which is approximately Rs 17 crore.
The minor was later rescued from Kolar on Saturday and six accused persons have been arrested in connection to the case.
The incident
The boy, Anubhav, was kidnapped while playing in front of his house in Ujire taluk of Mangaluru district on Thursday. His father Bijoy and grandfather AK Shivan are said to be prominent businessmen in the city.
"The child was kidnapped when he had gone for a walk with his grandfather on December 17. A case was registered," said Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP), BM Laxmiprasad.
"The father of the child is a local businessman his grandfather is a retired serviceman. The child was rescued from Kolar district on December 19 and six accused were arrested. The main accused is on run," he added
The main accused could be a former business partner of the child's father, the police official added.
"It is suspected that he was under the assumption that the child's father has Bitcoins. Since the price of Bitcoin has gone up, the accused demanded the ransom in Bitcoins," he added.
How did the Karnataka police nab the abductors?
A special investigative team set up by Dakshina Kannada SP BM Lakshmi Prasad traced the origin of the new ransom message from a cell tower in Hassan district of Karnataka.
A police team comprising Bantwal Dy SP Valentine D Souza, Belthangady Circle Inspector PG Sandesh, Inspector Nandakumar and Dharmasthala station SI Pawan Kumar formed to track the abductors.
DK Police sources indicated that Nakhabandi (checkposts) were set up all across the Charmady Ghat forest area. Police suspect that the kidnappers are well known to the family.
