A chilling kidnapping turned deadly in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot, where cloth seller Ashok Keserwani’s young son Ayush was seized, killed when ransom wasn’t paid, and his body hidden. Law enforcement’s relentless pursuit culminated in a predawn encounter neutralizing the chief perpetrator, injuring his sidekick.
Thursday’s calm shattered as the 14-year-old, fresh from tuition, vanished while playing locally in Bargad. Kidnappers wasted no time, dialing the family for Rs 40 lakh. Alerted cops scoured footage and interrogated locals, fingering neighbors Irfan and Akram ‘Kallu’—tin traders from Prayagraj—as culprits.
Dawn revealed the boy’s corpse, garroted and boxed for dumping. Public wrath boiled over; crowds blockaded the station until quelled. Elite police squads raided the Puranu Baba woods Friday morning, sparking a firefight. Kallu dropped dead from bullets, Irfan wounded in the foot and rushed to hospital. One more suspect evades capture.
Under SP Arun Kumar Singh’s command, forces maintain order amid unrest, including road jams. This brazen act has ignited debates on child protection, with authorities promising full closure. The Keserwani home, shrouded in grief, awaits accountability as evidence mounts.