A 17-year-old boy was allegedly kidnapped and killed and his body dumped in a canal by four men at the behest of his cousin, the police...

A 17-year-old boy was allegedly kidnapped and killed and his body dumped in a canal by four men at the behest of his cousin, the police said today. The plan to kidnap the minor was hatched by his elder cousin Pankaj alias Mangal who stayed in the same house as the victim, they added. After he learned that the police were informed about the kidnapping, he directed his associates to kill the boy, the police said.

Kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore

On May 29, the police were informed that a 17-year-old boy has been kidnapped from Northeast Delhi's Nand Nagri and the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore from his father for the child's release, the police said. The complainant, a resident of Nand Nagri, said his son had gone to a nearby park in the evening and did not return after which the ransom call was received.

Crime Branch undertook the investigation

A joint team of northeast district police and the Crime Branch undertook the investigation and multiple teams were formed to trace the boy. A case was registered in the matter and the police zeroed in on the owner of the car in which the victim was taken. Subsequently, Salim and Shoaib were nabbed and they pointed towards Pankaj's involvement, the police said. Pankaj was nabbed and he confessed to making the plan with Naseemuddin.

The police arrested the accused

Pankaj had plans to build his own house with the ransom money, they added. The police arrested the accused from Punjab and Dasna in Uttar Pradesh. During interrogation, the kidnappers revealed that they had killed the boy. They gave him an intoxicating drink after learning that the police were looking for them. They later threw the body in Muradnagar canal, the police said.