Man kidnaps colleague son, returns him fearing police

Ajmat Bagwan wanted to force the colleague to help him bail out his brother arrested for vehicle theft.

An employee of a private catering firm in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, was arrested in Kurla Tuesday night for allegedly kidnapping an eight-year-old son of a colleague on February 11.

The accused returned the child on February 13 and had been absconding since.

Police said Ajmat Bagwan (28) told colleague Pooja Bhalerao that his younger brother Shaukat had been arrested in Jogeshwari for stealing two-wheelers and was in judicial custody since May last year.

Bhalerao allegedly promised to help him file a bail application.

However, a few weeks ago, police said, she expressed inability to help. Bagwan allegedly planned to kidnap her son Aditya to force her to help him.

He had been allegedly living with Bhalerao in Parsiwadi, Ghatkopar (West), since February 1 and had beccome friendly with Aditya.

Police said at 5.30 pm on February 11, Bagwan picked up the boy from Parsiwadi Municipal School and took him to the house of a relative in Santosh Nagar, Goregaon (East). He later made a ransom call to Bhalerao, threatening to kill Aditya if she did not help bail out Shaukat.

When he did not hear from her for two days, Bagwan panicked and sent Aditya home in an auto-rickshaw on February 13 evening.

Police arrested the absconding accused in Kurla (East) following a tip.

"Bagwan was desperate and thought if he kidnapped Aditya, Bhalerao would have no choice but to help him. We have charged him under IPC section 363 (kidnapping)," said inspector Rajkumar Kothmire of Ghatkopar police station.

ALSO READ

Delhi nursing graduate loses eye in acid attack at Bandra station

Worry and anger in Mumbai police after R R Patil snatches right to promote

MNS student wing demands question papers in Marathi

UN rapporteur comes calling, lends an ear to Ishrat's mother