Kidnapped students finally released in Bihar, and now Lau feels a conspiracy behind discrediting Bihar
Sudhir Chadda, Special Correspondent
February 03, 2005

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“Who is this Chunnu Thakur? I don't know him. Lalu Prasad is making such allegations out of sheer desperation,” he told a press conference adding, “I will go through the TV footage and file a defamation suit against him after verifying the facts.” Paswan said, “The timing and the recovery of the child just a day before the first phase of assembly polls suggest that the RJD wants to take political mileage out of it. But since the people are aware of these tactics of the RJD president they will not be fooled.” Kislay, who maintained his composure despite his fortnight-long ordeal said, “I just want to forget these 14 days and start life afresh.” Thanking his fellow school children, who had taken to the streets and prayed for his release, Kislay said, '” will pray to god so that no child is made to undergo such pain.”

Though the police claimed that Dipak Bharti was freed during police raids at Kankaithi village under Jagdishpur police station of Bhagalpur district, the boy had a different story to tell. Dipak told reporters at the Kotwali police station at Bhagalpur that he had escaped on Monday when one of his captors inadvertently left open the door of the hideout at Jaithorenath hills in adjoining Banka district. “I walked through the jungles and reached Kankaithi village on Tuesday and from there I took an autorickshaw to reach my home at Haibipur in the morning,” he said. '” was not tortured,” a visibly shaken Dipak, son of Kapildeo Mahto, a revenue department official in Sanhaula block of Bhagalpur district said. Meanwhile, the Biharsharif bandh called in protest against Ravikant's kidnapping has affected normal life with majority of schools and markets closed. Vehicular traffic was thin as school children took out processions in different parts of the town.

Relieved by the rescue of Kislay Komal, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday attacked his political opponents for making the kidnapping an election issue and "tarnishing the image" of the state. "I am very happy that our child has returned safely," he said shortly after the Delhi Public School student was reunited with his family in Patna. He said, "There is a conspiracy to defame the state government and we will expose those who are orchestrating the kidnappings." "Those who were trying to make political capital out of the kidnapping and organising protests should have realised that it could have put his life in danger. They should have desisted from this," the Railway Minister added. Lalu Prasad said that he had been monitoring the entire rescue operation and was informed by police officials immediately after the boy was rescued on Wednesday morning. "We were confident the police would be able to recover Kislay and it was done. Kislay has returned unharmed," Lalu said. 

Admitting that there had been several incidents of kidnapping of children, as the police and administration were busy with preparations for elections, he said, "their cases have not been projected by the media but we are concerned about all of them." Praising the police and administration for their efforts, which led to Kislay's rescue, Chief Minister Rabri Devi said, "The way the administration rescued this boy, other kidnapped boys will also be rescued."

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