Man abducts infant boy for kin; rescued from Rajasthan

The complainant, a Chennai resident, told police she had travelled to Delhi with her infant son by train to visit relatives.

A 32-year-old man was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a three-month-old baby boy in central Delhi’s Anand Parbat to give the child to a relative who wanted a male heir, police said on Thursday. The infant was rescued safely within 18 hours and reunited with his mother on Tuesday evening.

Based on the complaint, a case under Section 137(2) (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Anand Parbat police station. (File photo)

Deputy commissioner of police (central) Nidhin Valsan identified the accused as Jitender Kumar, a resident of Khetri, Rajasthan. Police said the kidnapping was reported on Tuesday morning from Nayi Basti in Anand Parbat.

The complainant, a Chennai resident, told police she had travelled to Delhi with her infant son by train to visit relatives. During the journey, she became acquainted with Kumar, who engaged her in conversation for nearly two hours and gained her trust. Posing as a helpful escort, he accompanied her towards her relative’s house and stopped at a cloth shop. “He gave her ₹150 to buy a dress for the baby. While she was inside, he fled with the child,” DCP Valsan said.

Based on the complaint, a case under Section 137(2) (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Anand Parbat police station. “The matter was taken up as a priority, and over 100 CCTV cameras along possible routes were scanned. Footage revealed the accused escaping with the baby,” the DCP said.

To establish his identity, police used artificial intelligence-based applications. “The woman was with the man for a few hours and also called him on his mobile number once during this period, but she did not know which number it was. We got seven or eight unsaved numbers in her call logs and fed those numbers to our app. On one of the numbers, the man’s photograph popped up, which he had used as his WhatsApp display picture a few years ago. We got his name as well,” said an officer.

Investigators then identified him as a resident of Rajasthan. A police team was dispatched and, with local assistance, arrested Kumar from Khetri and rescued the infant unharmed. During interrogation, Kumar revealed that a relative had asked him to arrange for a male child and promised financial support if he facilitated the “adoption”.

“The safe recovery of the child within hours highlights the effectiveness of coordinated fieldwork and the use of technology,” said DCP Valsan. “The baby is now back with his mother.” Kumar remains in police custody.