Nayati is home safe

By the nst team kuala lumpur | crime@nst.com.my

RANSOM PAID: Boy, 12, released at rest area along North-South Expressway

THERE was overwhelming relief and joy in Malaysia and several other countries when news of kidnapped boy Nayati Shamelin Moodliar’s reunion with his parents broke early yesterday. In the past one week, local and internationalmedia organisations had carried reports of his kidnapping. Posters of the 12-year-old boy had been distributed across the Klang Valley and several neighbouring states. Dutch national Nayati was found by a couple who recognised him from the posters at the Rawang rest and recreation area along the North-South Expressway at 7.55am.The couple approached Nayati to verify his identity before calling his parents.

The parents, Sham and Janice Moodliar, the police, friends and relatives then rushed to the scene to be reunited with him. It was learnt that Nayati had been left at the highway rest area by his kidnappers after a ransom, believed to be RM300,000, was paid.

The money was dropped off at an undisclosed location in Cheras the night before.

The kidnappers, believed to be locals, are still at large.

A source close to the investigations revealed yesterday that the kidnappers had contacted the family within 24 hours of the boy being forced into a car near the Mont Kiara International School last Friday.

The kidnappers made contact through a social networking website, instead of the conventional method of using the handphone.

"This is the first kidnapping case here where the suspects had contacted the victim's family through the Internet instead of using mobile phones," the source revealed.

It is learnt that the kidnappers had initially demanded a ransom of RM1 million, but after negotiations, the amount was reduced.

"The family was instructed to drop off the money at an undisclosed location in Cheras on Wednesday night.

"Nayati was left at the rest and recreation area several hours later," the source said, adding that Nayati had not been ill-treated, although he looked tired and weak.

Several hours after the boy was found, Nayati, accompanied by his family went to his school to thank schoolmates, teachers and staff for their prayers and support.

He grinned widely as throngs of students came to meet and escort him to a special assembly.

Nayati is the eldest child. He has a younger sibling. His father, Sham, is a senior adviser in a Dutch business management consultancy firm, while his mother is a housewife.

The boy was abducted at 7.35am on April 27 while walking to his school. Witnesses said two men in a black Proton Gen.2 grabbed and bundled him into the car.

His parents immediately called a press conference and pleaded with the kidnappers not to harm him. News about his kidnapping spread like wildfire with media organisations in the Netherlands, South Africa and Britain reporting the incident.

This publicity blitz was unprecedented for a kidnapping case here.

Nayati Shamelin Moodliar, 12, is surrounded by his classmates at the Mont Kiara International School in Kuala Lumpur when he dropped by the school after his release by kidnappers. Pic by Nik Hariff Hassan

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Nayati is home safe

RANSOM PAID: Boy, 12, released at rest area along North-South Expressway

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