1-year-old girl abducted from CSMT, found near Churchgate station

An unknown person allegedly abducted a one-year-old girl from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and abandoned her near the Churchgate station in Mumbai. The CSMT Government Railway Police (GRP) has launched a manhunt for the person. The child was found abandoned on a footpath and reunited with her mother.

Mumbai: An unknown person allegedly abducted a one-year-old girl from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Saturday night and abandoned her near the Churchgate station in the early hours of Sunday.

As per an officer from the CSMT GRP Police Station, on Saturday night, Farida Ansari and her one-year-old daughter were sitting in the waiting hall to board an early morning train to Uttar Pradesh. While waiting, Ansari fell asleep with her daughter sleeping just next to her. (HT PHOTO)

CSMT Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered a case and launched a manhunt for the person.

As per an officer from the CSMT GRP Police Station, on Saturday night, Farida Ansari and her one-year-old daughter were sitting in the waiting hall to board an early morning train to Uttar Pradesh. While waiting, Ansari fell asleep with her daughter sleeping just next to her.

“When she woke up at 3 am on Sunday, her toddler was not to be found. Ansari searched the waiting hall and the platforms but could not find the girl. She then approached the CSMT GRP at 3.15am and an FIR for kidnapping was lodged,” added the officer.

The police then started to check CCTV recordings of the waiting room. They found images of a suspect dressed in a full shirt and shorts carrying the child while she was sleeping.

“The recording of the spot is not clear and it is difficult to see the kidnapper’s face. Hence, we could not determine the gender of the person,” said the officer.

Police then circulated the images of the child and the kidnapper over Whatsapp to other police stations. They received a call within minutes from the Azad Maidan police informing them that they had found the child on MK Road at Churchgate at 2.30am.

“The child had been abandoned on a footpath. A watchman had spotted her and dialled ‘100’,” said the officer.

The police officers assume that the kidnapper would have intended to take the child to Churchgate station but could not board the train as the first train departs around 4am.

“The child might have woken up and begun crying. Therefore, the kidnapper would have panicked and left her on the footpath,” said the officer.

Police reunited the child with her mother on Sunday morning. Ansari, who lives in Worli with her husband and three children in a slum said that she was grateful that her child was safe and was returned to her. Ansari also said that her husband and two other children, who are older than her daughter, had left for UP on another train a few days ago and she was going to join them.