The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs and Royal Bhutan Police have written to their Indian counterparts to help search for the 14-year-old boy who was abducted from his village, Purano Basti, Gelephu, on the night of December 16.
Immediately after the abduction case was reported to the Home Ministry, the Bureau of Law and Order (BLO) contacted its Indian counterparts. The Indian Army was instantly mobilized to search for the abducted boy inside the Indian Territory.
According to the Home Ministry, the parents of the boy have received the ransom call from an Indian number on December 18. The kidnappers have asked the parents for a ransom of Nu 10mn.
The Home Ministry and its Indian counterparts are trying to trace the location of the kidnappers.
The Home Minister said that the government is also working on the abduction cases of two Bhutanese drivers who are still missing. The families of the drivers had last received ransom calls from the kidnappers on September 18. The families have not yet received any calls since then and have no clue on their whereabouts.
The abduction of the latest kidnapping victim happened during the night time, when the boy was guarding the rice harvest in a hut on the farm. The Home Ministry said it is a very unfortunate incident, and despite continuous awareness campaign for safety being held, the people still choose to risk their lives and safety.
Therefore, the Home Ministry has requested the people residing near the border areas and near vulnerable points to avoid compromising on their safety and to follow the security guidelines.
There have been 13 Bhutanese citizens kidnapped from within and outside the Bhutanese territory. The first case of kidnapping of a taxi driver called Benulal Sunar from Tinbandi Khola was reported on 22 October 2012. Seven Bhutanese were kidnapped from Bhutan and five Bhutanese from Indian Territory. Two men were reported to have been kidnapped in 2012, four cases in 2013 and seven kidnapping cases was reported this year alone. As of now the families of those hostages have paid a total of Nu 4.060 million in ransom for their release.
