UP boy, kidnapped 17 years ago, grows up to become lawyer and puts abductors behind bars

Representative image

Here’s a revenge story that was indeed served cold. A seven-year-old boy from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was kidnapped 17 years ago. He grew up to study law and put his kidnappers behind bars. Here’s his story.

Harsh Garg, a 24-year-old lawyer was abducted from outside his residence in Agra’s Kheragarh area 17 years ago. According to an NDTV report, he was abducted on February 10, 2007; he was rescued from Madhya Pradesh by the police 26 days later.

His abductors had reportedly demanded a ransom of Rs 55 lakh from his family and had even shot his father Ravi Kumar Garg, when he had tried to foil their bid.

Cut to 2024, a court in Agra sentenced eight persons to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each. The sentence was delivered by Additional District Judge Neeraj Kumar Bakshi a week ago. However, four more people, who were accused in the case, had to be acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence.

What was striking about the case was that Harsh Garg presented his case himself and was successful in prosecuting his abductors. As per the NDTV report, his testimony was crucial role in indicting the perpetrators as he was able to give first-hand accounts of the incident. “We are glad to see that justice has been served, reinstating our faith in the judicial system of the country,” Garg said.

Garg had graduated with a law degree in 2022 and had since been actively involved with the case. “I attended every hearing and ensured that all witnesses appeared on their scheduled dates,” he said.