"The boy found in London is our Sintu, who was kidnapped three years ago," Ganga Prasad, father of the boy, said.

Ganga Prasad is hopeful after he saw a few photographs of the boy on a television news channel that beamed a report about a boy of Indian origin found in London by the police last week.

The television footage has brought a ray of hope to the family, nearly three years after the boy was kidnapped from Aurangabad town.

"Our hopes rekindled after we saw photographs of the boy. He is definitely our Sintu," Basant Prasad, the boy's grandfather said. Everybody in the family is now hoping that Sintu will return home.

According to family members, Sintu was abducted from Kikri under Sadar police station March 3, 2005 when he was playing outside his house. "Sintu was then six years old," Ganga Prasad said.

Police lodged an abduction case March 6, 2005 but they have not yet made any breakthrough to recover him.

Sintu's uncle Gaya Prasad said it all started after Sintu's maternal uncle Upendra Singh, who runs a business in Orissa, told the family Sunday night that they saw Sintu's photographs on a television news channel. "There is no doubt that he is our boy," Gaya Prasad said.

He said that though the boy found in London by the police was wearing a Sikh-style turban, the family was sure that it was Sintu. "His nose, eyes and face are similar to that of Sintu at the time when he was kidnapped," he said.

Mother Bindia Devi is the happiest because she is sure that her lost son will return. "It is a miracle for us and a ray of hope," she said. The family has lost faith in the police after he failed to make any breakthrough.

Sintu's family have sought the help of the state and central government in this connection. "We have sought the help of the Aurangabad superintendent of police Ganesh Kumar," Ganga Prasad said.

Sintu is the nephew of Rashtriya Janata Dal legislator (MLC) Bhim Singh, who is considered close to Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, the former chief minister and currently leader of the opposition in the state assembly.

"I have requested chief minister Nitish Kumar and state police chief A.R. Sinha to help bring the boy back from London," Singh said.

Singh said he suspected that after being kidnapped, Sintu was sold off to a childless non-resident Indian couple and was later taken to London.

It was reported that the Sikh boy, Gurrinder Singh, was found abandoned at a clinic in London by the police. Official sources in the state home department said the state police would approach the central government in New Delhi for help identify the boy.

(IANS)

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