Infant, kidnapped in Mathura, found from local BJP leader's house
A seven-month-old boy, who was abducted from Mathura’s railway station last week, was recovered on Monday from the house of a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who allegedly bought him for ₹1
A seven-month-old boy, who was abducted from Mathura’s railway station last week, was recovered on Monday from the house of a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who allegedly bought him for ₹1.8 lakh from a child-trafficking racket.
Police said the child was sleeping next to his mother on the platform at Mathura railway station on August 24 when he was abducted. After searching for several days, he was recovered from the house of a BJP corporator from Firozabad, Vinita Agrawal, and her husband Krishna Murari Agrawal, with investigators identifying a racket, headed by a doctor couple from Hathras. Investigations are on to identify other members of the racket, said police.
Police arrested the doctor couple –Prem Behari, 38, and his wife Dayawati, 38, who used a hospital they ran in Hathras, Bankey Behari Hospital, as a front for their illegal business – and four of their associates, Deep Kumar,40, Poonam, 43, Manjeet, 43, and Vimlesh, 38.
Also arrested were the BJP corporator from Firozabad City, Vinita Agarwal (49), and her husband Krishna Murari, 51.
Superintendent of Police (SP) for Government Railway Police (GRP), Mohammad Mushtaq, said: “The child was sleeping with his mother, a complainant in this case, on the platform. A case was registered at GRP Mathura under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for kidnapping,” Mushtaq said.
Police traced the movements of Deep Kumar through CCTV footage gathered from nearby districts. “Deep Kumar was seen travelling in roadways bus and the conductor identified him and he was arrested. This opened the case and doctors were traced leading to clues on whereabouts of the child,” said the SP.
The SP said a deal was negotiated for the child at ₹1.80 lakh and an amount of 85,000 has been recovered from those arrested.
“Six teams were constituted to trace the missing child, and a surveillance team was activated to work out CCTV footage available about the incident. The efforts paid dividends, and the gang operating under a doctor couple of Hathras as a kingpin, was busted,” Mushtaq said.
“Call details of those arrested after nabbing Deep Kumar gave clues which were assembled and their call details gave police more links of this network spread in Agra, Firozabad, Mathura beside other districts of Agra Zone and nearby areas,” said the SP.
“Investigations are on and there are clues making us believe that this was not an isolated case. Much more can come up in coming days” said Mushtaq.
The SP said the doctor couple confessed to running an organised gang involved in the theft and selling of children. “These children were abducted from railway platforms and bus stands and sold to childless couples,” he said.
“We are investigating the details about the doctor couple as we anticipate that they might have wider contacts and also involved in other cases of stolen children as well. We are also investigating Poonam and Vimlesh as it was revealed that they are working as ANM (auxiliary nursing midwifery) on contract for government welfare schemes. Sections related to the offence of human trafficking are being added to crime,” Mushtaq added.
The Opposition attacked the BJP over the issue.
“BJP ne bachho ka vartman aur bhavishya to chura liya…. Ab kam se kam ye kaam to na karen (BJP has already stolen present and future of children …. now should not stoop so low,” said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
BJP leaders did not comment on the matter.
