Kidnapped Dombivli boy rescued in Gujarat within 74 hours; 5 arrested

 

Manpada police immediately formed 20 teams to search the boy. At least 300 policemen from Kalyan Dombivli, Nashik and Gujarat were involved in search and investigation and managed to rescue the boy safely

Dombivli: A 12-year-old of boy, kidnapped for ₹1.5 crore ransom, was rescued from Gujarat after 74-hour joint search operation conducted by the Manpada police and teams from other police stations. Five people, including three women, were arrested.

According to the police, the boy Rudra Jha, left home for his tuition at Milapnagar, Dombivli MIDC on November 9 at 8 am. He was supposed to return home by 10 am, instead, his parents received a ransom call from unknown persons demanding ₹1.5 crore with threats to kill him if the amount was not paid.

The boy’s father Ranjeet Jha, 42, a Dombivli-based businessman registered an FIR with Manpada police under section 363, 364 (A) and 385 of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Manpada police immediately formed 20 teams to search the boy. At least 300 policemen from Kalyan Dombivli, Nashik and Gujarat were involved in search and investigation and managed to rescue the boy safely.

“We believed in the police and their work. It was stressful for us, but I think we should believe the process and keep faith,” said Jha.

Rudra, who was reunited with his parents, saluted the entire police team.

The police arrested Faradshaha Firojshah Rafai,26, his wife Nazia Rafai, 25, his sister Farheen Singh, 20, brother-in-law Princekumar Singh, 24, and Shaheen Shabam Mehtar, 27 from Gujarat.

“It was a very sensitive matter and our team was handing it carefully to ensure boy’s safety,” said S P Bagade, senior police inspector, Manpada police.

On November 9, when Rudra did not return home his father and mother launched a search. Speaking to people at his tuition and among friends and relatives.

However, his father received a call where his son was heard saying that he had been kidnapped. Later, the accused spoke to Rudra’s father and demanded him to pay the ransom.

While checking CCTV footages the police spotted the car which was used to kidnap the boy. The car was seen travelling from Dombivli to Badlapur to Khadavli to Jawahar Nashik.

To avoid the police and CCTV installed on highways, the accused drove through villages and also changed the name plate of the vehicle.

The team at Kalyan Zone 3 police checked all vehicles. The next day the father received another call from the kidnapper asking him to pay the ransom in next three hours or see his boy dead.

“The police spotted the car at Mokhada, Jawahar and tried following it. The accused abandoned the car in a jungle and fled with the boy. We found a knife, nameplates, notebooks that the boy carried to tuition and his footwear in the car. We also announced a reward of ₹50,000 if the villagers helped us with a clue,” added Bagade.

Luckily the police traced their mobile location to Gujarat and initiated a search on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.

“Investigations revealed that the main accused Farhadshah Rafai was a Palghar resident, but his native was Surat. His background check revealed he has cases of double murder, house thefts and illegal liquor selling registered to his name. Our sources told us that the accused shifted his belongings from Palghar to Surat during this kidnapping period. We got his Surat address through the tempo he had used for shifting. A team of 50 cops reached his residence in Surat and nabbed him and his family,” added Bagade.