Kidnapped Agra duo freed after 12 days

Agra -- A teenaged boy from an Agra business family and the company's company accountant were released by kidnappers after a 12-day ordeal.

Himanshu, 16, and employee Pritam were released Wednesday by Bhura, known as the kidnap king, and his gang.

The police said Wednesday evening that the two were released after a gun battle in a forested region in Mainpuri district.

Police deny any ransom was paid. "It was our pressure on the Bhura gang and the arrest of four gang members the previous day that led to the release," an official said.

Family members of the kidnapped boy refuse to say if ransom was paid.

The Bhura gang, active in the Agra region for almost two years, is behind half a dozen major kidnappings.

The two were abducted Aug 19 when they were returning after getting their computer repaired. They were pushed into a waiting van near the university area around 8 p.m. Himanshu and Pritam are reportedly in a state of shock.

IANS