Patna, Oct 13 (IANS): Police in Bihar's Bettiah have managed to crack the kidnapping-cum-murder case of a 14-year- old son of a local jeweller by arresting four accused, including a minor who had allegedly planned the crime, on Friday.

West Champaran's Superintendent of Police Amarkesh D. said that the accused had kidnapped Aashish Kumar on Wednesday and killed him on the same day.

After murdering him in a gruesome manner, they demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh from his father Nagnarayan Shah, a prominent jeweler of the city.

"The accused, after kidnapping Aashish, first gouged out both his eyes, tied his hands and brutally assaulted until he died. After committing the crime, they hid the dead body with stubble and then sought ransom of Rs 20 lakh from Nagnarayan Shah," the SP said.

"The entire conspiracy was hatched by a minor boy who is also a student of the same school where the victim was studying. He was planning for the last one month and involved three criminals of the area - Raushan Kumar, Rajbali, and Ramu Chaudhary. The minor accused, who was senior to the victim, wanted to take revenge as the victim had an affair with the accused’s sister and he was angry over it," he added.

"The minor accused was planning the murder for the last one month. The problem was how he could bring Aashish to a place where he wanted to brutalise him. He took the help of three criminals to take revenge. The minor accused was just wanting revenge while the three criminals were wanting big money and hence they have called for the ransom of Rs 20 lakh after the murder,” Amarkesh D said.

"The victim was last seen on Wednesday afternoon when he left the school bag and cycle inside the school and jumped the wall of the school to meet someone and the accused kidnapped him," he added.

"The accused were produced before a local court and the juvenile justice board. Further legal action is underway,” he said.