AROUND 5:30 pm on August 23, a 14-year-old boy was allegedly abducted from a forest village in Darjeeling district. A day later, the teenager’s disappearance snowballed into public outrage, including road blockades and protests, followed by the Opposition accusing the state of “sluggish response” to the incident.

On Wednesday, residents, activists and politicians put up social media posts with a single demand — “urgent and effective action to bring the boy home safely”. On August 24, hundreds of residents had blocked National Highway-10 (NH-10) at the 10th Mile Forest Village for over three hours, demanding swift police action.

According to an eyewitness, unidentified men had allegedly dragged the teenager, a student at a local school, inside a white van near the 10th Mile Forest Village, located close to the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, before speeding away. Accompanied by friends, the teenager was fishing near the Sevoke bridge at the time of the incident.

Breaking down during a telephonic conversation with The Indian Express, his mother said, “His elder sister would always keep an eye on him. That day (August 23), he had gone out with friends. Our son is our lifeline. We just want the police to bring him back home safely.”

The family said there were no CCTV cameras near the bridge. “The spot (alleged abduction site) is quite isolated and there are no cameras,” confirmed a resident.

Sobit Tamang, one of the eyewitnesses in the case, told journalists, “I was cutting firewood at a distance and had spotted the boy standing near a van. Suddenly, someone pulled him inside the car and the vehicle sped off. The boy cried for help. I tried to follow the vehicle on a motorcycle, but in vain.”

One of the boy’s relatives said the family has been looking for him 24/7 since he went missing. The relative added, “This may be more than just a case of kidnapping for ransom. There have been no solid leads either.”

Confirming the lack of leads, a post shared by the Darjeeling district police announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for credible information leading to the recovery of the missing boy.

With the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections likely to be held in 2026, the incident has also taken on political hues. In an open letter addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Darjeeling MP and BJP national spokesperson Raju Bista criticised the “the sluggish response” of the authorities concerned.

“This isn’t just a tragedy — it’s a wake-up call. North Bengal is bleeding, and the government is asleep. The Chief Minister must immediately constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and act before another family is shattered.”

Raising concerns about “growing criminal incidents in North Bengal”, including attempted human trafficking and daylight robberies, his letter stated, “We have never had such kidnapping cases in our region before. Is the rapidly changing demography of our region responsible for the increase in crime here?”

However, the police said similar abductions had not been reported in the area for over 18 months. “We are doing everything necessary to find the boy,” said Praween Prakash, the Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling.

Accusing the BJP of “politicising the issue”, Udayan Guha, TMC MLA and North Bengal Development Minister, said, “The police are investigating whether this is a kidnapping or something else, like the teenager running away from home. As far as the BJP is concerned, they only think of politics — whether it concerns a body or a living person. They leave no opportunity to politicise and disturb a situation further.”