Mumbai Police arrest four for kidnapping, selling, buying one-year-old girl from Charkop

Charkop police on Tuesday arrested four people involved in the kidnapping and sale of a one-year-old girl child. Police were able to nab the accused within two hours

Charkop police on Tuesday arrested four people involved in the kidnapping and sale of a one-year-old girl child. Police were able to nab the accused within two hours of receiving a complaint from the girl’s mother.

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According to police, the complainant Sunita Gurav, 30, and her family were sleeping on the Bhumipark Society footpath. At around 3am, she noticed that her one-year-old daughter Babita was missing. Gurav approached Charkop police at 11am, and based on her complaint, a case was registered against unknown kidnappers.

“We immediately registered a case under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and formed three teams to scan CCTV footage of the area. In one of the footages, we identified the accused persons,” said Vishal Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (zone-11).

Police identified a couple, Rashmi Naik alias Rashmi Pawar, 29, and Raju Pawar, 36.

An officer from Charkop police station said that the officers then managed to get the accused’s mobile numbers and analysed their call records and location. The duo was then arrested at Khar.

During their interrogation, the couple confessed that they had kidnapped and sold the girl to a couple who runs a beauty parlour in Khar. Police then visited the place and found the kidnapped girl.

“The couple who purchased the child is identified as Sachin Yelve, 40 and Supriya Yelve, 35. As Supriya was not able to conceive, she contacted Rashmi who offered to sell her a child for ₹30,000. After negotiations, they decided to sell the girl for ₹15,000,” said an officer from Charkop police station.

“We rescued the child and arrested all four accused,” said Thakur, adding that the police are now investigating whether the couple has stolen any other children in the past.