The officials of Government Railway Police (GRP) rescued a three-year-old boy from the clutches of his kidnapper, who had taken him into custody for begging on the streets.
The child, who was playing with his sibling near Bandra railway bridge while his mother cooked food, was kidnapped and later found based on human intelligence and CCTV camera footage in Kandivali (E). The woman has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for kidnapping charges.
According to police, the incident took place on December 12 when the three-year-old boy was playing with his sibling on the bridge towards Bandra Terminus while his mother, who sells balloons for a living, was cooking food.
However, when her husband went to call their children for lunch, his elder son was there, but the younger one was nowhere to be found. They checked with their neighbours and relatives, but to no avail, and finally lodged a case of kidnapping against unknown persons.
The Bandra GRP Police registered an offence and scrutinized the CCTV camera footage, wherein they saw a woman suspiciously taking the three-year-old victim in her custody and walking away.
The woman was spotted in Kandivali (E), and based on a tip-off, the police learnt that she had relatives in Bhayandar, Borivali and Dahisar.
Acting on this information, several teams were formed and the woman was caught from the Kandivali East area where she was arrested by the Borivali railway police.
The minor was rescued and was later handed over to the family.
The woman was identified as a beggar, who was homeless and police suspect that she had kidnapped the child with the sole intent to gain sympathy while begging.
