Vasai worker, sidekick held for kidnapping 11-year-old
Two persons were arrested by the Waliv police on Saturday for kidnapping a 11-year-old boy in Vasai by luring him with the promise of a cycle. The kidnappers, who resided in the same building, had convinced Adarsh Chauhan to steal money, a mobile phone and an ATM card from his parents before joining them.
According to the police, who arrested Shiv Kumar alias Chotu, 19, and Amit Jaiswal, 20, from Naigaon after tracking their mobile phone, Adarsh left the flat at dawn on Saturday with around Rs 2,000 in cash, his father’s cell phone and Bank of India debit card. Following the kidnapper duo’s instructions, he also latched the flat from outside. Around 6.30 am, his parents – father Govind is a fitter with Indo German Pharma in Naigaon while mother Neelam is a homemaker – woke to find the cash, card, phone and their son, a Class V student at Shanti Vidyalaya, Naigaon, missing.
They immediately alerted their neighbours, who joined the search for the missing boy but to no avail. Realising that Adarsh must have stolen the cash and phone, the Chauhans approached Waliv police.
PI Narayan Patil of Waliv police station said, “We registered a case of kidnapping against unknown persons and formed five teams. We instructed Chauhan to play along and inform us whenever the kidnapper called us so we could locate the mobile tower’s location.”
A few hours later, the kidnapper called Neelam and agreed to Rs 2 lakh and told her to bring the cash to Naigaon railway station.
“She informed us and we sent two officers in plainclothes, but the kidnapper did not turn up,” Patil added.
Around 10 pm on Saturday, the kidnappers called again, demanding Rs 1.75 lakh and told Neelam to come to the Chandansar Post Office in Virar (East). “Our informers told us that Adarsh was seen in an under-construction building in the vicinity. Around 11 pm, when the Chauhans were handing over a bag with cash, we nabbed the kidnappers,” he said.
Chotu and Jaiswal were arrested under IPC sections 364(a) (kidnapping for ran-som), 363 (kidnapping), 383 (extortion) and 342 (wrongful confinement). A Vasai court remanded them in police custody till August 2. “Adarsh was kept in a flat in the under-construction building in Virar, where Chotu was fitting a false ceiling. Jaiswal was his accomplice. Chotu stays on the ground floor of the same building and had befriended Adarsh,” Patil said.
“I had warned Chotu many times to stay away from my son. I had even slapped Chotu once for distracting Adarsh,” said Chauhan, who hails from Akkalkot in Solapur and had come to Vasai five years ago.
According to the police, who arrested Shiv Kumar alias Chotu, 19, and Amit Jaiswal, 20, from Naigaon after tracking their mobile phone, Adarsh left the flat at dawn on Saturday with around Rs 2,000 in cash, his father’s cell phone and Bank of India debit card. Following the kidnapper duo’s instructions, he also latched the flat from outside. Around 6.30 am, his parents – father Govind is a fitter with Indo German Pharma in Naigaon while mother Neelam is a homemaker – woke to find the cash, card, phone and their son, a Class V student at Shanti Vidyalaya, Naigaon, missing.
They immediately alerted their neighbours, who joined the search for the missing boy but to no avail. Realising that Adarsh must have stolen the cash and phone, the Chauhans approached Waliv police.
“On the way to the police station, Neelam dialled my missing phone. We were shocked to hear Adarsh at the other end, saying he had been confined in an unknown place by two ‘uncles’. Before we could say anything, a man came on the line. He said Adarsh was with them and asked us to pay Rs 3lakh as ransom,” Chauhan said.
PI Narayan Patil of Waliv police station said, “We registered a case of kidnapping against unknown persons and formed five teams. We instructed Chauhan to play along and inform us whenever the kidnapper called us so we could locate the mobile tower’s location.”
A few hours later, the kidnapper called Neelam and agreed to Rs 2 lakh and told her to bring the cash to Naigaon railway station.
“She informed us and we sent two officers in plainclothes, but the kidnapper did not turn up,” Patil added.
Around 10 pm on Saturday, the kidnappers called again, demanding Rs 1.75 lakh and told Neelam to come to the Chandansar Post Office in Virar (East). “Our informers told us that Adarsh was seen in an under-construction building in the vicinity. Around 11 pm, when the Chauhans were handing over a bag with cash, we nabbed the kidnappers,” he said.
Chotu and Jaiswal were arrested under IPC sections 364(a) (kidnapping for ran-som), 363 (kidnapping), 383 (extortion) and 342 (wrongful confinement). A Vasai court remanded them in police custody till August 2. “Adarsh was kept in a flat in the under-construction building in Virar, where Chotu was fitting a false ceiling. Jaiswal was his accomplice. Chotu stays on the ground floor of the same building and had befriended Adarsh,” Patil said.
“I had warned Chotu many times to stay away from my son. I had even slapped Chotu once for distracting Adarsh,” said Chauhan, who hails from Akkalkot in Solapur and had come to Vasai five years ago.
