Patna, Jan. 24: Unconfirmed reports of yet another kidnapping of a school student from Biharsharif, telecast by a news channel today, lent an edge to the snowballing children?s movement in Patna, demanding the release of abducted schoolboy Kislay Kaushal.

Even on the sixth day after the Delhi Public School student was kidnapped, police remained clueless and the family reported that no ransom call had been received. Patna superintendent of police, .H. Khan, said eight more suspects, all reported to be professional kidnappers, were arrested since Sunday, taking the number of arrests to 25. But he admitted that he was no closer to cracking the case.

Over a thousand schools in and around Patna remained closed today to protest against the rising incidence of kidnapping of school students. The DAV group of schools however, remained open, but organised fasts, prayers and yagnas in support. Other schools planned a relay fast if the abducted child is not found by Republic Day.

The protest threatens to prompt students to take the extreme step of not ?celebrating? Republic Day ? for the first time ever. ?We respect the nation and the Tricolour. We will participate in the flag-hoisting ceremony but will not participate in the customary cultural programmes,? said a DPS student.

Students appeared unrelenting and seemed to be preparing to intensify their agitation. Some schools have already formed groups of students to launch a relay fast from tomorrow following a call by Oxygen, a non-government organisation working for students. The NGO president, Vinod Singh is on an indefinite fast since the last four days.

?The elders ? especially the police or Laloo Prasad Yadav ? have done little for our safety and Kislay?s release. Perhaps it is time we children try to make a difference. We want justice, we want safety and according to our civics teachers, these are our basic rights and the government?s duty. We will continue to skip our lunch till the police rescue Kislay,? said a Class IX student of Notre Dame Academy.

Schools reopen for a day tomorrow before Republic Day. Sources in the local public schools? association said they were planning a ?massive protest march? of children near Raj Bhavan on January 26 or 27 if Kislay is not rescued by then.

A girl of St Joseph?s Convent was upset because Laloo Prasad said the protest of students at the airport was ?planted? by a news channel. ?Nothing can be more demeaning than to insult our genuine sentiments. We have committed no crime in demanding safety. Some politicians say the protest is only by students of the elite schools, which is anyway not true. But will they tell us where do their children study?? she asked.

A student of DAV-Patliputra said their protest was not being taken seriously because they were not eligible to vote. ?We are scared to go to the bus stop every morning and that is a fact. We want to draw the attention of all voters of Bihar to our condition and fear,? he said.