Mumbai Police, once again, won the hearts of the citizens after working their fingers to the bone to rescue a two-month-old baby girl who was allegedly kidnapped from south Mumbai.
Moreover, the cops arrested two accused in this connection within 12 hours with the help of GRP Mumbai. Besides, the kidnapping was documented on video, and the police were able to identify the suspect with the use of CCTV evidence.
A Wadala-based couple allegedly kidnapped a 71-day-old baby girl from a pavement near St Xavier’s College in order to sell the infant to a childless couple, officials stated. Police also suspects that the couple might have been involved in more cases of child kidnappings.
The arrested accused were identified as Mohammad Hanif Memon (46) and wife, Afreen Memon (39), residents of Shanti Nagar area in Wadala East.
Meanwhile, the newborn, her two sisters, and their mother resided on a footpath outside a public restroom close to St. Xavier's High School in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Mumbai Terminus (CSMT) neighbourhood.
A 30-year-old woman, who is the mother of the infant, approached police saying her 71-day-old daughter was missing on Wednesday early morning, October 26.
According to police, on the night of October 25, when the couple was sleeping with their three daughters, an unknown person had reportedly taken away the youngest daughter. When their mother woke up, she found the youngest daughter missing. She searched the whole neighbourhood but to no avail. The next morning, woman approached the Azad Maidan police and reported the incident.
Police officers looked at CCTV footage from the area as they started their inquiry and noticed someone picking up the baby and leaving.
Explaining further about their successful mission to nab the kidnappers, officials exclaimed that the 46-year-old male accused was seen with the baby in the CCTV footage of south Mumbai and Wadala areas. The police later traced the man and rescued the child.
The suspect was found in his home when we later obtained his address with the aid of local informants. Mohamed Hanif was taken into custody by the police as the suspect.
Hanif is said to have admitted to the crime when being questioned, leading to his arrest. When the infant was saved, her relatives received her.
The Azad Maidan police registered a case under Indian Penal Code 363 (kidnapping) and formed eight teams to find the baby, Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar told reporters. The police examined footage of a number of CCTVs.