Due to a family and financial dispute with his father, a man kidnapped a 7-year-old boy and attempted to strangle him with a belt. Dharavi police arrested the accused within 24 hours.
The boy goes missing
According to information received from the police, Anwar Shaikh (26), a pharmacist, complained that his 7-year-old son had gone out to play and did not return home until 10.30 pm. When the boy did not come home, Shaikh filed a complaint with the Dharavi police.
On Shaikh's complaint, the police registered a case of kidnapping against an unknown person and initiated an investigation.
When the police questioned the children in that area about the kidnapped boy, one child reported that he had seen him going with a person living in the same area. Upon checking the CCTV footage of that area, the kidnapped boy was observed going with a person.
CCTV helps identify accused
A police officer stated that when this CCTV footage was shown to the child's father, he identified the person as Mohammad Najeeb. Senior Police Inspector of Dharavi Raja Bidkar mentioned that upon checking other CCTVs in the area, the accused was seen heading to Bandra station with the boy.
A police team contacted Najeeb's brother, who owns a purse manufacturing unit in Dharavi, and questioned him about Najeeb. They attempted to contact Najeeb on his mobile, but he did not answer the call. Meanwhile, two police teams reached Bandra railway station as the man was observed going there with the boy.
RPF finds the boy
The police made inquiries at railway stations throughout the night, and in the morning, they learned that a boy had been found by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Virar.
When Dharavi police reached Virar, they found both the accused and the boy. The police then brought them to the police station.
Accused reveals details of the kidnap
During interrogation, the accused informed the police that he was angry over financial and business disputes with the complainant, and that's why he kidnapped his son. He also mentioned that since the boy knew him, he offered to buy momos for him, and the boy left with him.
The accused further told the police that he allegedly strangled the boy with a belt on the train, left the child, and got off at Nalasopara railway station. When he reached Virar station to check on the boy, the Dharavi police were there, and they arrested the accused.
Case filed against Najeeb
Bidkar revealed that the arrested accused, Najeeb Shaikh, used to work in a leather bag manufacturing unit in Dubai and was the former business partner of the complainant.
Upon registering the FIR, a case was filed against Najeeb under section 363 (punishment for kidnapping). After arresting the accused, IPC sections 364 (kidnapping or kidnapping for the purpose of murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) were also added to the case.
The accused was produced in court and sent to police custody until November 16.
