Shahdara kidnapping case: Delhi Police files charge sheet

Of the four accused, Ravi (25) was killed in the encounter, while Pankaj was arrested. Nitin Sharma, another accused, was arrested on February 5, and Anshul Malhotra, his accomplice, after the boy was rescued. They had demanded a ransom of Rs 60 lakh for the child's release, according to the chargesheet. Nitin used to make the ransom calls in the voice of a woman to mislead investigators, police said.

The chargesheet was filed before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ajay Garg in the Karkardooma Court earlier this month and the accused were booked for kidnapping, attempt to murder, theft, wrongful restraint and under provisions of the Arms Act.

The chargesheet mentions that Malhotra, who happens to be a friend of Nitin, had supplied arms to them.

Pankaj and Ravi had allegedly kidnapped the boy from the school bus on January 25 near IBHAAS on the Mandoli Road on the directions of Nitin. They had also shot at bus driver Naresh Thapa, it stated.

The 43-page chargesheet lists 81 witnesses and the evidence include stolen mobile phones that were used by the accused to make the ransom calls and send a Whatsapp video of the boy saying "I love you" to his father.

Other evidence include footage taken from CCTV cameras on the route from where the boy was kidnapped.

The chargesheet also mentions that Nitin used to make ransom calls in the voice of a female to create an impression that a woman had planned the entire episode and throw the police off-track.

The plan to kidnap Vihaan Gupta, the son of a wholesale businessman, was hatched by Nitin who knew that the boy's father had recently struck a business deal of Rs 37 lakh, police said.

Nitin was arrested from Seemapuri on February 5 when he was returning from a marriage party, the chargesheet stated.