Kidnapped Patna schoolboy returns home

    Patna: Nirmalendu Diwakar, a class IX student, was recovered today, 28 days after he was kidnapped while on his way to school in Patna. Police sources said that the Don Bosco School student was recovered near the city outskirts. Nirmalendu is the son of the Joint Director of the State Animal Husbandry Department, O P Diwakar, who is one of the accused in the multi-crore fodder scam. Fifteen year-old Nirmalendu, Bunty to his friends, was abducted from near his home in Phulwarisharief. Kidnappers smashed the window of the car, pulled out the driver and sped away to an unknown destination with the child. The kidnapping instilled a sense of fear in the minds of school children. Saurabh Kumar, a school student, said after such frequent kidnappings, they did not feel safe.

    School students offered mass prayers and organised several relay fasts to press for the release of Nirmalendu. Hundreds of school children also formed a human chain on February 4 in Patna to demand immediate Government intervention. On February 10 students took to the streets to protest against the abduction and demanded adequate security. They complained that the growing sense of fear was preventing them from concentrating on their studies. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's son, Tej Pratap Yadav joined the demonstration by students on February 8. Dressed in his school uniform, Tej Pratap walked down the streets and joined the human chain formed by the students. On January 24, police reportedly shot dead two suspected criminals who were involved in the abduction of Nirmalendu. The encounter took place at Sipara. Support also came from an unexpected quarter. The washermen in Patna threatened to stop washing the clothes of politicians and policemen unless Nirmalendu was traced. This was announced by the Patna District Washermen's Committee. After a new government took over in November last year, over 60 abduction cases have been reported, forcing the Patna High Court to order the State Government to file a report by February 14. The court then said that it was shocked to know that 11,000 kidnapping cases still remained unresolved in Bihar. Lawyers, doctors and wealthy businessmen have been the prime target of extortionists in the state. Hundreds have migrated to safer places or sent their children to boarding schools as a result.

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