Muscat: Noel Sam Abraham, a tenth grade teenager from Indian School Darseit, who went missing on Friday night, was found in the early hours of Sunday with his hands and legs tied. “Just before 1am we were informed that Noel was seen in semi-conscious state behind LuLu Hypermarket in Wadi Kabir, the place from where he went missing,” the boy’s father Abraham Samuel told Gulf News on Sunday.
“We are relieved that Noel is found but so far we haven’t been allowed to speak to him by police as they are waiting to interview [him] about the incident,” the Ministry of Health employee said, adding that the family had spent am agonising 24 hours before their son was found with bruises on his body.
The father confirmed that the boy was not abused. “We haven’t had much time with him so far but it seems there are some needle marks that will have to be confirmed later,” he said, adding that the tenth grade student was losing consciousness every now and then as he had spent 24 hours without even water.
“It seems he was moved around at least three times,” he said. “Noel told police that there were three people and one of them spoke a language he didn’t recognise,” a source informed Gulf News.
The boy’s body is peppered with insect bite marks as well as bruises that look like rock abrasions, indicating that he was moved around on mountains. According to a Royal Oman Police (ROP) spokesperson, the boy was found near mountains behind the hypermarket in Wadi Kabir. Empty cartons and stones were kept around where he was lying down with hands and legs tied with a rope.
“There was also a stone kept on his body,” a source said, adding that so far the motive is not known and the boy seems to remember the face of only one of the three abductors. “Seems they had covered their faces most of the time,” the source said. “So far no arrests have been made in the case but our investigations are going on and as soon as we solve this mystery we will make it public,” the ROP spokesman said.
Noel going missing was the second case in a week involving Indian School students. Last Tuesday, a 12-year-old girl escaped from two Omani suspects after they forcibly took her in a bus to an isolated dwelling in Wadi Kabir. The brave girl led police to the two suspects, who are now arrested.
Noel, who is appearing for his 10th grade board exams, had gone to LuLu Hypermarket with his parents and younger brother. However, the boy sat in the car reading his study material as his parents and younger brother went shopping. When the parents returned to the car at around 11pm, the boy was missing. A torn piece of his shirt and strewn study papers indicated that the boy was forcibly pulled out of the car. The family immediately informed the police. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) investigators collected fingerprints from the car and even brought the dog squad pick up any possible trail.
