Father of 3 held for kidnapping

A 23-year-old man, a father to three children, was arrested for kidnapping a three-year-old child from central Delhi and subsequently selling him off to a female co-worker who could not conceive, police said on Saturday.

A 23-year-old man, a father to three children, was arrested for kidnapping a three-year-old child from central Delhi and subsequently selling him off to a female co-worker who could not conceive, police said on Saturday.

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Vivek Kishore, deputy commissioner of police (central), said the accused, identified as Mohammad Altaf and Saema (26), work at a handicrafts unit in central Delhi's Sitaram Bazaar where the two befriended each other and conceptualised the plan.

"The arrests came following investigations into a complaint filed by the child's mother on July 12. She informed us that her son, Zubaid Ali, had gone out of the house but didn't return. A case of kidnapping was registered and investigations taken up," DCP Kishore said.

At 1:30am on July 16, police said, they received information that the said kidnapper was on his way to Hauz Qazi area where the accused, later identified as Altaf, was arrested.

"Altaf confessed to the crime during interrogation saying that he kidnapped the child and sold him off to Saema for Rs 10,000. Subsequent to this information, we conducted a raid at Saema's residence in Sita Ram bazaar from where the child was safely recovered and handed over to his parents" Kishore said.

According to police, she had told him that she had strained relations with her husband and wanted a male child. That is when the idea struck Altaf who, out of sheer greed, agreed to arrange for a child.

"So on July 12, Altaf reached Zubaid's residence in Chitli Qabar where he lured the child on the pretext of giving him toffees. While Altaf had been paid Rs 5000 as a first instalment by Saema, the rest was to be paid within three days," DCP Kishore said.