Wednesday, August 24 2005 10:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Katihar (Bihar): Mudit Jain, the school boy kidnapped from Bihar's Purnea district on August 15, 2005 was today (August 24, 2005) rescued by the police after a fierce encounter in which both his captors were killed, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team headed by Purnea Superintendent of Police Sudhanshu Kumar, raided the hideout of the kidnappers in Drivertola locality of Katihar town around 3 am and asked them to surrender. The kidnappers holed up in the house, opened fire and in the ensuing encounter both of them were killed.

The slain kidnappers have been identified as Ravi Mehta and Prashant Yadav of the notorious Ramesh Yadav gang.

Eleven-year-old Mudit, son of a Purnea businessman, was unharmed, sources said.

Four kidnappers had been killed in an encounter while trying to flee after handing over the schoolboy to another criminal gang a few hours after his abduction on Independence Day. One carbine, three pistols and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain miscreants.

Mudit, a student of Purnea Zila School was kidnapped from a place under Khazanchihat police station in Purnea town, on way to school to participate in the Independence Day function.