In a disturbing twist to a school holiday meant for joy and bonding, three Class VI students from Bishop Cotton School (BCS), Shimla, were kidnapped on Raksha Bandhan by a former student of the same school.
Police say the suspect, 43-year-old Sumit Sood, allegedly tried to deflect suspicion by blaming the abduction on a fictitious “Nigerian gang.” According to investigators, Sood called the children’s parents, claiming he had been “forced” by Nigerians to demand ransom in Bitcoin. He allegedly warned them not to alert anyone, threatening that the supposed gang would harm both him and the children if they did.
“The students are still in shock,” Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi revealed, describing how Sood weaved an elaborate story to make his victims believe an international gang was pulling the strings.
The nightmare ended when police traced Sood to his home in Kokunala village, near Kotkhai. The children were rescued unharmed, but officers say the scene revealed the darker side of the suspect’s plan — a licensed firearm, a machete, and other sharp weapons were found in his possession. His getaway car carried a fake registration number.
Investigators later discovered Sood had obsessively monitored over 30 websites and news outlets, tracking whether the abduction had gone public. When he saw reports emerging, he allegedly planned to move the children to Chandigarh.
On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Sood was remanded to judicial custody despite police requesting more time to question him. He has agreed to provide voice samples, which prosecutors say are crucial to match with the recorded ransom calls made to at least two of the victims’ parents.
The incident has rattled the prestigious BCS community. One of the kidnapped children is related to Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who rushed to Shimla with the family. The school has since tightened outing rules — students will now only leave campus under adult or staff supervision.
For three young boys, a festive holiday turned into a frightening ordeal. And for a once-respected alumnus, it’s a fall from grace into the shadows of a criminal investigation that has gripped an entire state
