Kidnapped 3-year-old boy rescued in West Bengal

A three-year-old boy allegedly kidnapped from his Mumbai home a week ago has been rescued in West Bengal. Police arrested a distant relative of the victim.

Mumbai: A three-year-old boy, who was allegedly kidnapped from his residence in Mumbai a week ago, was rescued in West Bengal on Saturday. The JJ Marg police have also arrested the accused, who is a distant relative of the victim.

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According to the police, the boy’s mother Osmina William, 33, lives in JJ Marg area along with her husband and three sons. She claimed that her cousin and her husband, Lalchandra Athar Shaikh, 32, had a love marriage and lived in the same area in JJ Marg. The couple often fought over small issues and had a fight on June 2 too after which the sister went to their mother’s residence at her native place in West Bengal, the complainant said.

Shaikh was under the impression that the complainant and her husband advised his wife to go to her mother in West Bengal hence he came to their home and fought with them on June 3.

On June 4, when the boy’s mother and father went to their respective jobs, leaving the three sons, the accused came around 11am and took away the youngest son, a police officer said.

When the boy’s parents returned home, their 10-year-old and six-year-old boys told them that Shaikh had taken away their younger sibling. The parents then tried to contact the accused, but his mobile phone was switched off.

They searched for the boy in the city, including Lower Parel and Colaba, but in vain. Later, they approached the police.

Based on the complaint, the police gathered technical evidence and learnt that the accused reached his native place in West Bengal and also took the three-year-old boy with him.

A police team went to West Bengal and with the help of local police the boy was rescued. Shaikh was not at his home, but his location was traced near Kulberia bus stop and he was taken into custody.

A video call was made to the parents of the boy and they confirmed his identity, Lakshmikant Salunkhe, police inspector, said.