Thane woman held, minor detained for kidnapping 1-year-old

The accused Shahista Mehruddin Shaikh, a homemaker from Vartak Nagar, was about to sell the girl to a businessman, police said. The businessman is yet to be identified.

A 30-year-old woman from Thane was arrested and a minor was detained on Thursday for allegedly kidnapping a one-and-half-year-old girl from Thane railway station in the early hours. The case was cracked down within six hours by Thane police.

The child with her mother.(Praful Gangurde/ HT)

The accused Shahista Mehruddin Shaikh, a homemaker from Vartak Nagar, was about to sell the girl to a businessman, police said. The businessman is yet to be identified.

J Ranaware, senior police inspector, Thane crime branch, Unit -5, said, “Soon after the child was kidnapped in the morning, her mother, a rag picker, approached the Kopri police station and a case was registered. We formed three teams to nab the accused.” During investigation, locals at the station confirmed that Shaikh was in search of a child for the past few weeks, police said.

Avinash Ambure, deputy commissioner of police (zone -5), said, “During investigation, we found that Shaikh was seen roaming near Thane railway station platform number 10 from the past two weeks in search of a child. Shaikh lured the minor boy with money. She promised him pay ₹20,000 if he picked up the child from the station.” However, after the minor kidnapped the child from the station, Shaikh paid him only ₹5,000 and fled the spot with the child. “Shaikh had taken the child to her mother-in-law’s house at Uthalsar,” Ambure said.

“We questioned many locals at Thane station who helped us with Shaikh’s appearance,” said Ranaware. With the help of CCTV cameras installed at the station, the police identified Shaikh. “We first went to Shaikh’s mother-in-law’s house to rescue the child. Later, we went to Sahikh’s house in Vartak Nagar and arrested her. The girl was reunited with her family members,” Ranaware said. The minor boy has been sent to a remand home while Shaikh is in police custody, police said.