Childless couple held for kidnapping three-year-old in Mumbai

The accused couple got married last year. Ramvir told the police they tried to have a child, but Kajol could not conceive owing to a medical issue. Ramvir requested their friend Priyanka to give him one of their two children but she refused.

After a police search that continued for more than a month, a childless couple was arrested for kidnapping a three-year-old boy from a chawl in Vile Parle (East). The boy was reunited with his parents.

The couple was arrested on kidnapping charges under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a magistrate that sent them to judicial custody.(HT file photo)

The airport police said the boy, Yash Thakur, stayed with his parents Priyanka and Nirmal in Rajendra Prasad Nagar.

Priyanka and the accused Ramvir Chauhan, 30, were good friends. Ramvir and his wife Kajol, 24, would visit the Thakurs regularly.

The Chauhans got married last year. Ramvir told the police they tried to have a child, but Kajol could not conceive owing to a medical issue. Ramvir requested Priyanka to give him one of their two children. She refused.

The accused visited Priyanka’s house on October 11 under the pretext of giving Yash a chocolate. They carried him to a store and then fled. Priyanka did not suspect that anything was amiss. She did not have Ramvir’s address, but knew he stayed somewhere on rent in Virar. She also knew he worked as a watchman.

A team of police inspector Yogesh Shinde, sub-inspector Tushar Sawant and constables Mane and Malwankar camped in Virar and traced the building where Ramvir worked.

However, they found that he had quit his job. A few days ago, they received a tip off that Ramvir was seen near the Virar railway station. They went to the spot and found the child abandoned there.

They also found Ramvir and Kajol sleeping on the skywalk. The accused said they said they got scared and abandoned the boy.

They were arrested on kidnapping charges under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code and produced before a magistrate that sent them to judicial custody.