KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Jan 19: Kairav Gandhi, son of a city-based industrialist who was abducted from Jamshedpur on January 13, is likely to be rescued safely by the police at any moment, sources indicated on Monday.
While there is no official confirmation yet, a highly placed police officer said there has been a significant breakthrough in the kidnapping case, raising strong hope of the victim’s safe return. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that crucial developments have taken place in the case and that all necessary steps for the victim’s safe return have been addressed, making it only a matter of time before Kairav returns home safely.
Ransom call received from abroad
Kairav Gandhi (24) went missing on the afternoon of January 13 while travelling from his CH Area residence to Bistupur. Two days later, family members reportedly received a ransom call from the abductors, allegedly made from Indonesia, demanding ₹5 crore for his safe release.
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Kairav’s father, Devang Gandhi, had lodged a missing person report at Bistupur police station the same evening. Upon receiving information about the ransom call, police swung into action and intensified the investigation.
Police investigation under senior supervision
The probe, conducted under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Piyush Pandey, utilised advanced technical surveillance and tracking methods to trace the callers and crack the case. Police officials said details of how the investigation progressed over the last five days would be disclosed during a press briefing after Kairav’s safe return.
Chilling similarities with past abduction cases
The incident appears to echo a troubling pattern, as kidnapping-for-ransom cases resurface in the steel city after nearly two decades. In 2004, Vishwanath Garg, brother of a Jamshedpur-based industrialist, was abducted while travelling from Sonari to Bistupur. He was reportedly kidnapped by mistake instead of his brother, Om Garg, and was later released after a ransom payment.
In 2006, Krishna Bhalotia, son of industrialist Gajanand Bhalotia, was abducted while travelling from his CH Area residence to his factory in Adityapur.
Significantly, in both earlier cases, the victims’ cars were found abandoned in the Chandil police station area. In the present case as well, Kairav Gandhi’s vehicle was recovered along NH-33 under Chandil police station, in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district, drawing striking parallels.
Sources in Jamshedpur’s business community recalled that both Vishwanath Garg and Krishna Bhalotia were eventually released after ransom payments.
