Thane: The Crime Branch Unit 4 of Thane Police has arrested a 26-year-old man on Wednesday from Madhya Pradesh for allegedly kidnapping a four-and-a-half-year-old girl over a minor dispute in Badlapur.
The accused has been identified as Ranjit Bisanlal Dhurve, a construction laborer working in the Ram Tekdi area of Badlapur. He hails from Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh. The incident took place in Ramesh Wadi, Badlapur (West).
According to police, the dispute between Dhurve and the victim's family arose on June 23. The next day, he allegedly kidnapped the girl while she was at home while parents are outside. Her family began searching for her but was unable to locate her. They subsequently approached the local police station and filed a First Information Report (FIR).
Following the complaint, police launched an immediate search operation across the locality. A team led by Police Inspector Ashok Koli, under the supervision of ACP Shekhar Bagade, reviewed CCTV footage and acted on a tip-off.
A police team was dispatched to Madhya Pradesh by road where they traced and apprehended the accused on June 25. The girl was safely rescued and brought back to Thane. Dhurve was produced in court and remanded to police custody for further investigation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused had gone to the victim's home to ask for food, which led to a quarrel with her family. In retaliation, he allegedly abducted the child.
DCP Amarsingh Jadhav of Thane Crime Branch said, “We are investigating whether there was any other motive behind the kidnapping, apart from the dispute.”
