Sunday, October 16 2005 11:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Bihar schoolboy Gaurav Kumar nicknamed Golu, whose kidnapping had triggered widespread protests, was released after 26 days in captivity today (Oct 16, 2005), a day before the Patna High Court was to hear the case of his abduction.

DIG (Central Range) Ram Pravesh Singh told PTI that Golu was found near the Railway Protection Force post at Hajipur, headquarters of Vaishali district, about 30 km from here this morning.

The release followed arrest of two members of the notorious Guddu Rai gang at Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh, he said.

Golu was put in a train at Gazipur and reached Hajipur this morning 'safe and sound,' he said claiming the 9-year-old schoolboy was released under sustained police pressure and that no ransom was paid.

''The kidnappers had not even made a ransom demand,'' he said.

Golu, a Class IV student of DAV public school and son of businessman Anil Singh, was abducted from near his Gola Road residence at Danapur on the outskirts of the capital while returning from school sparking a series of protests by all sections, particularly school students.

A Patna police team had already reached Hajipur and Golu was being brought here to his family, the DIG said.

Golu's abduction saw a spate of protests, including those in front of the Raj Bhavan, where school children braving scorching heat and heavy downpour demonstrated seeking his release.

A children's delegation had even met Governor Buta Singh, who had assured them of his safe release.

Patna High Court, taking suo moto cognizance of the kidnapping, had summoned the state's Police Chief A R Sinha, Zonal I G, Amrik Singh Nimbran and Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kundan Krishnan and extended the deadline for Golu's recovery thrice.

The fourth deadline set by the court was to expire tomorrow (Oct 17, 2005) and Golu's recovery a day ahead of the hearing must have come as a respite for the Patna police.

The police had arrested nearly 20 persons, including a havildar of Phulwarisharif jail in Patna, in connection with the kidnapping in which the role of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Uttar Pradesh Krishnanand Rai was suspected.

The MLA, from Mohammedpur near Varanasi, had, however, denied his involvement.

The trouble for the police had been compounded by the fact that the gang which had originally kidnapped Golu had sold him to Guddu Rai, a notorious gangster of Buxar, who was said to have escaped to Uttar Pradesh. Guddu has still not been arrested.

Golu's kidnapping had become an issue in poll-bound Bihar with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) attacking the Buta Singh administration for its failure to rescue the schoolboy.