Sangli: Sangli Police have busted a kidnapping racket that involved nabbing small kids of poverty-stricken people and selling them off to rich people. One arrest was made while a search for another two is ongoing, police announced on Friday. The breakthrough was achieved through the investigation of a kidnapped child belonging to a balloon seller in the Vishrambag area of Sangli city.
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The action was taken by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of the Sangli District Police Force. A case was filed at Vishrambag Police Station by Vikram Pusphachand Bagri, the father of the child. They have arrested Inayat Abdul Sattar Golandaj (43, Miraj). His accomplices, Imtiaz Pathan and his wife Wasima, are currently absconding, and a search for them is ongoing.
According to police reports, a one-year-old child belonging to balloon sellers who sold balloons in the Vishrambag Chowk area went missing. The balloon seller couple suspected kidnapping, and they reached out to Vishrambag Police Station. The child went missing on the first day of Diwali, that is, Narak Chaturdashi.
A police official said, “We started searching for the child and started analysing the available information. We determined the accused. The child was being sold to a businessman from Chiplun. It took us three days to locate the child and reunite him with his parents. After the investigation, the accused Abdul's location was traced to Miraj, and he was detained. Police interrogated him, and the child was traced to Savarde, near Chiplun. From there, it was rescued.”
Police further said that over 72 hours of skillful investigation and the efforts of over 50 police personnel resulted in the child's rescue. A police investigation revealed that Wasima has relatives in Chiplun, and that's how the deal with the businessman was made. She told the businessman she owns an institution that gives new life to the orphan children, and the businessman was legally adopting the baby.
The child was about to be sold for Rs 1.5 lakh, and the accused trio received the money. However, before their operation could finish, the police busted the racket open. Police said that even more children could be involved in this case, and further investigation is ongoing.
The action was taken under the guidance of Sangli SP Sandeep Ghuge, Addl SP Barawkar, and DySP Pravin Gilda. The LCB was led by PI Satish Shinde, which included APIs Pankaj Pawar, Chetan Mane, and others.
