Kidnapped minor boy rescued near Nepal border, abductor held

PTI & EOI, Mumbai, 31 Jan 2015: Four-year-old son of a businessman, who was allegedly kidnapped from suburban Kandivali last week, has been rescued near Indo-Nepal border and the former employee of the boy's father arrested, police said today.

The accused Aslam Darjee (25), a resident of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended on Wednesday and the minor boy was rescued by the Kandivali police squad.

The boy was abducted at about 11 pm on January 23 from near his residence in Ganesh Nagar, said Deputy Police Commissioner Balsingh Rajput.

As frantic search for the boy yielded no result, the family registered a case of kidnapping, he said.

During the probe, it emerged that the boy's father Kafeel Khan had to shut down his small hotel recently owing to financial crisis and he could not pay salaries to his staff. One of the staff members Aslam had a heated argument with Khan over Rs 45,000, which he had lent to the latter. It has also come to light that Aslam was spotted in Kandivali, a day before the abduction, said police.

As the needle of suspicion pointed to Aslam's role in the crime, a hunt was launched for him when it was found that he had left for Uttar Pradesh.

Based on the technical evidence, the Kandivali police, with the help of UP police caught Aslam from his hideout in Uttar Pradesh, which is close to Nepal border on Wednesday, police said. The victim and the accused were brought to Mumbai; police said, adding that further probe is on.