Couple arrested for kidnapping infant for their daughter for upcoming Rakshabandhan

New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Delhi Police has arrested a 41-year-old man along with his wife for allegedly kidnapping an infant after their daughter asked for a brother to tie rakhi on upcoming Rakshabandhan, an official said on Friday.

The official said that the couple's son had died last year and their daughter was asking for a brother to tie rakhi, following which they kidnapped the one-month-old boy from north Delhi.

The accused have been identified as Sanjay Gupta and Anita Gupta (36), residents of Raghubir Nagar in Tagore Garden.

According to police, on Thursday at about 4:34 a.m a police control room call was received at Kotwali police station regarding the kidnapping of a one month child of a handicapped woman.

"The complainant, Deepak, and his wife reported that around 3:00 AM when they woke up, they discovered that their one-month-old boy was missing. They suspected that an unknown individual had kidnapped their infant,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi.

During the investigation, the team reviewed the CCTV footage from nearby areas, searching for suspicious persons. They identified a motorcycle moving under dubious circumstances, with a male rider and a female pillion passenger. The motorcycle took several turns on a particular route. Utilizing the CCTV cameras, the team initiated pursuit.

“The motorcycle's number plate was not clearly visible. The team examined approximately 400 CCTV cameras along the route taken by the riders. The pursuit led them to LNJP Hospital,” said the DCP.

A group of about 15 police personnel, including female officers and armed with advanced weaponry, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. Eventually, the team entered a house in Raghubir Nagar, Tagore Garden, Delhi, where they found Sanjay Gupta and his wife Anita Gupta.

“The abducted child was also discovered with them,” said the DCP.

Upon interrogation, the accused individuals, Sanjay Gupta and Anita Gupta, revealed that the previous year, their 17-year-old son had passed away.

“Their 15-year-old daughter had expressed a desire for a brother to tie a rakhi on for the upcoming Raksha Bandhan on August 30, 2023. Motivated by this, they decided to abduct a male child. They encountered this particular child sleeping at a distance from his mother near Chhatta Rail Chowk. The couple kidnapped the child with the intention of raising him as their own son,” said the DCP.

“The abducted boy was merely one month old. His mother is physically disabled, lacking the use of both hands and legs, while his father is a rag picker. The family is homeless, residing on a footpath near Chhatta Rail Chowk, without strong ties in society. Following guidance from senior officers, the teams were instructed to approach the case with empathy. The motivated team worked tirelessly for 22 hours, ultimately succeeding in recovering the child and apprehending the accused individuals,” said the DCP.