Patna: Patna police in a swift action rescued a 16-year old boy who was allegedly kidnapped from Gandhi Nagar under Rajiv Nagar police station area on Tuesday afternoon. Rahul Kumar, son of Ranjit Sahu, was returning home from his shop in Gandhi Nagar when abductors kidnapped him around 100m from Rahul's shop around 12.30pm.

The abductors took the boy to a house near Patna zoo. "The abductors beat up the boy and asked him to call up his father to tell him he had been kidnapped," a police officer in Rajiv Nagar said. "The abductors also demanded Rs 3 lakh for his safe release." The kidnappers had threatened Ranjit with dire consequences if he informed the police.

Around 3.30pm, Ranjit informed the Rajiv Nagar police station, who informed Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj.

"Patna police set up barricades at various places," Maharaaj said. "Through call detail record, the police found that the kidnappers were in Veer Kuer Singh park area." A police team rushed to the spot and conducted raids.

The criminals had assembled in the area but on seeing the police, they tried to escape, leaving the boy behind. The police arrested three criminals, namely Mohammed Sharukh, Ranjit Kumar and Mohammed Minhaz. They have recovered a pistol, a live cartridge and three cellphones from their possession.