Kathmandu, November 28:

Maternal uncle Rakesh Gupta himself masterminded the kidnapping and murder of 11-year-old Rohit Gupta on October 11, police said.

The 11-year-old was kidnapped from his house at Kamaladi Ganeshthan, KMC-32, and murdered on October 11. Gupta, 32, has been absconding.

The police came to this conclusion after arresting and interrogating Bishnu Sunuwar, 25, of Dhading district, on the charge of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of the child.

Gupta, who hails from India, came to Kathmandu one year ago as his business in Biratnagar collapsed. Five months ago, he took a flat on rent at Dharmapath with the aim of running “kidnapping business”.

Gupta called Sunuwar, who was in Biratnagar, to Kathmandu to help him with the ‘business’. “He kept Sunuwar in his flat for the sole purpose of getting help to kidnap children and make money,” SSP at the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD), Upendra Kanta Aryal, said.

As per the plan, Rakesh exchanged his damaged SIM card with Basudev Gupta, father of the murdered child. Then Gupta brought his nephew to the rented room, saying that he will perform magic, and murdered him.