In a shocking case from Pune, five people have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a two-year-old girl to use her for begging. The Bharati Vidyapeeth police took action after the incident occurred around midnight on July 25, and a complaint was filed by Dhansingh Hanumant Kale, a resident of a slum in Katraj.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has given prize of ₹ 1 lakh each to crime branch and Bharati Vidaypeeth police teams.
According to the complaint, his wife had put their daughter to sleep in a sling, and she was discovered missing when another child cried, prompting them to check. Upon finding the sling empty, the parents reported the matter to the police.
In the CCTV footage that went viral accused were seen taking the kid to Pune Railway station on a two wheeler.
The accused have been identified as Sunil Sitaram Bhosale (51, resident of Motizhara), Shankar Ujanya Pawar (50), Ganesh Babu Pawar (35), and Shalubai Prakash Kale (45), all from Dikamal in Tuljapur taluka of Dharashiv district, and Mangal Harful Kale (19), a resident of the Khadki Railway Line slum in Pune. The police arrested three of the accused from Tuljapur and two from Range Hill in Khadki.
They were produced in court and have been remanded to police custody till August 2. Public prosecutor Amar Nanavare argued that the nature of the crime is serious and it is suspected that the accused may be part of a larger gang involved in similar offences.
There is a possibility that they may have more victims and accomplices, and the crime may have been planned as part of a conspiracy. It has also been revealed that three of the accused are habitual offenders with criminal records. The investigation is ongoing to uncover the full extent of the operation and determine if more children have been targeted.
