GANG LEADER OF KIDNAPPING RING GETS 12 YEARS
The ringleader of a gang which kidnapped an 11-year-old boy and threatened to kill him unless his family paid £40,000 was sentenced to 12 years in prison yesterday.Ravideep Babu, a 24-year-old from Southall, west London, was responsible for snatching the child as he walked home from school last year.He made nine phone calls to the boy's family demanding the ransom, including one where he warned that failure to pay within 10 hours or raising the alarm would result in the child's death: "you can see your boy's dead body".Babu admitted to the kidnapping but claimed he did nothing wrong.
He explained he was owed money by a relative of the boy and believed kidnapping was a "normal practice" in his native India to settle debts.
He also denied forcing the child against his will and said he needed the ransom because his mother had cancer.Prosecutor Matthew Kennedy argued that the real motive was greed, suggesting Babu believed the boy's father could afford a large sum to secure his son's safety.
The court heard that the other gang members, all from Southall, were also convicted and sentenced to prison: Gurnham Singh Dhanoa received six years, Amarjit Singh Dhariwar seven years, and Ayisha Choudhry three-and-a-half years.
The court described Babu as "quite dangerous", noting his tendency to resort to threats.The boy, although unharmed physically, suffers from panic attacks and nightmares, which have affected his schooling.
Both he and his family are receiving counseling.
Babu was involved in the kidnapping, which lasted 26 hours, during which he kept the child in a squalid room where he was forced to relieve himself on the floor due to a lack of toilet facilities.
The victim was eventually rescued after police arrested another gang member who revealed his location.After sentencing, Scotland Yard officials emphasized their zero-tolerance approach to such crimes.
