Ludhiana: Abducted boy rescued within 12 hours

The rescued child has been reunited with his parents; police are now probing whether the accused were linked to a wider human trafficking racket

The Khanna Police rescued a three-year-old boy within 12 hours of his abduction from Garhi Tarkhana village near Machhiwara. The child had been kidnapped by his neighbours and sold to a couple from Sirsa, who were attempting to smuggle him to Bihar.

The victim, son of a migrant labourer, was playing outside his house on Thursday afternoon when he suddenly went missing. (HT Photo)

The victim, son of a migrant labourer, was playing outside his house on Thursday afternoon when he suddenly went missing. Panic gripped the family and villagers, prompting an immediate police search.

Khanna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jyoti Yadav revealed that CCTV footage from nearby areas proved crucial. “The footage showed the child being taken away. We alerted Sirsa CIA staff, and within hours, a bus heading towards Bihar was intercepted. The kidnapped child was rescued, and the accused couple nabbed,” she said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ramesh Kumar, Chandan Sahni, and Babita of Village Garhi Tarkhana, Rita Devi and Santosh Sahni of Dana Mandi, Sirsa, and Jenath of Village Garhi Tarkhana. Police investigations revealed that the boy was sold for ₹1.29 lakh. Babita allegedly transferred ₹9,000 via Google Pay and paid ₹50,000 in cash, while another ₹70,000 was pending.

Police said that Babita, acting on her sister Rita Devi’s request, had plotted the abduction. Rita and her husband Jenath, who reportedly had no child, were given the abducted boy in lieu of money.

“Our prompt action ensured the boy was rescued before he could be taken out of Punjab,” the SSP said.

The rescued child has been reunited with his parents. Police are now probing whether the accused were linked to a wider human trafficking racket.