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A major and shocking twist has emerged in the kidnapping case of 12-year-old Som Kumar, which occurred four and a half years ago in Lakhna town, under the Bakewar police station area of Etawah district in Uttar Pradesh. The kidnapped child’s mother, after seeing a photo viral on social media, has claimed that the photo is of her son. This claim has once again brought this old kidnapping case into the spotlight.
Girjesh Babu, a resident of Kaharan Mohalla in Lakhna town and a cashier in the electricity department, had his 12-year-old son, Som Kumar, mysteriously abducted while playing outside his home on June 30, 2021. The family searched extensively but found no clue. A few days later, a ransom letter was found on Girjesh Babu’s doorstep. The letter demanded a sum of money in exchange for Som’s release.
Despite extensive searching, no clue was found.
The police took the matter seriously, registered a kidnapping case, and began an investigation. Raids were conducted at numerous locations, but no trace of the child was found. Given the gravity of the matter, the then-regional SP MLA, Raghavendra Gautam, even raised it in the Assembly. However, despite police investigations and government efforts, the child’s disappearance remains a mystery. To this day, the family remains unsure whether Som was swallowed by the earth or the sky.
Four years and four months later, a new twist in this old kidnapping case occurred when Som’s mother, Rekha Devi, was scrolling through Facebook. She saw a photo posted on the Facebook account of a man named Sanoj Kumar Yadav, in which a wedding photo of a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl had gone viral. Upon seeing the photo, Rekha Devi was stunned. She said the boy’s face resembled her son Som’s. “I can recognize him, he’s my son, and he’s alive.”
“One Bihari is worth a hundred”
Rekha Devi said she tried to contact the man through Facebook. When they received the phone number and called, the young man threatened them instead of listening to them. According to Rekha Devi, the young man said, “Don’t pursue me, one Bihari is worth a hundred.” Frightened by the threat, the mother immediately reported the matter to the police and pleaded for her son’s recovery.
Police Investigating
Regarding the entire incident, Bakewar Station House Officer Vipin Malik stated that the matter has come to his attention. Details of the person whose Facebook ID the photo was posted from are being collected. With the help of the cyber team, the police are trying to identify the Facebook profile and the teenager depicted in it. The Station House Officer stated that the Facebook post is being investigated and the truth will be revealed soon.
Hope Rekindled in the Family
This photo has brought a ray of hope to Girjesh Babu and his wife, Rekha Devi, who have been searching for their son for four years. Rekha Devi says she never lost faith that her son is alive. Now, this link found on social media gives her confidence that Som is alive somewhere. The mother stated, “I just want to see my son once. Wherever he is, please let me meet him.”
Questions raised about the police administration
Local residents say that if the police had conducted the initial investigation seriously at the time of the incident, this situation might not have arisen today. The police’s inaction even after four years raises questions about the department’s working style. This new photo, which has surfaced on social media, has brought this old kidnapping case from Etawah back into the spotlight. All eyes are now on the police investigation to determine whether the teenager seen on Facebook is indeed the kidnapped Som Kumar, or if it is someone else’s photo.
