Thursday, February 23 2006 11:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hajipur (Bihar): After remaining in captivity for 29 days, a kidnapped schoolboy was today freed by his abductors at a place near Mahnar in Bihar's Vaishali district today (Feb 23,2006).

Twelve-year-old Sumit Kumar, son of a railway booking clerk, who was kidnapped by motorcycle-borne criminals when he was on way to his school to participate in the Republic Day function, walked down to Mahnar police station after his captors released him, Police Superintendent Preeta Verma said.

He was later handed over to his relative here 'safe and sound', she said adding that the abductors let him off under heavy police pressure.

"The police had identified the gang involved in the kidnapping and arrested six persons yesterday (Feb 22,2006)," she said.

The kidnapping of Sumit, standard IV student of a private school here, had triggered protest in Hajipur town. Angry local people had blocked the Hajipur-Muzaffarpur national highway on several occasions to press for early recovery of the schoolboy.