New Delhi: A toddler kidnapped from
south-east Delhi on Sunday was rescued from adjoining
Faridabad after police arrested five persons, including three
women, who allegedly hatched the conspiracy as they were fed
up with their menial jobs and wanted to make a fast buck.
The kidnappers were allegedly planning to demand a
ransom of Rs 2 crore from businessman Vikram Singh residing
in Maharani Bagh after a gap of 20-25 days when the momentum
of investigations loses steam, police said on Wednesday.
18-month-old Ishaan was kidnapped allegedly by the
family servant Savita alias Seema, who took employment at the
house ten days before the kidnapping, on the pretext of taking
him for a walk on Sunday.
The five persons, who have no previous criminal
records, hatched the conspiracy as they were fed up with their
menial jobs and wanted to become rich quickly, police said.
"We rescued the child late last night from Harkesh
Nagar in Faridabad's Tilpat within 72 hours of the kidnapping.
We are happy to bring back smiles on the faces of Ishaan's
family," BK Gupta, Delhi Police Commissioner, told reporters.
"All the accused were working in Maharani Bagh area
and had no criminal background. The idea was that they had had
enough of menial jobs and wanted a big catch to lead
comfortable lives," he said.
The arrested have been identified as Krishna Dev Kumar
(32), Ashok Kiro (23), Pratima (21), Savita (19) and Anu Ara
Begum (35), who runs a placement agency.
Kiro was the first to be arrested yesterday followed
by others while Pratima was arrested this afternoon from
Nizamuddin Railway Station when she arrived here from Orissa.
Police got the breakthrough following investigations
into an information provided by the family that their maid
Pratima had gone on leave just four days before the kidnapping
took place on some pretext.
"We found that Pratima was in relationship with Ashok
and their marriage has been fixed. We zeroed in on Ashok who
broke down during investigations," Gupta said.
Police also got the portrait of the maid prepared.
"Since the photograph of the maid was not available, CCTV
footage at all shops the family had visited was analysed and a
footage from a South Delhi Bakery was found to have her
photograph which also was used in investigations," a senior
police official said.
Placement agencies were contacted and over more than
2000 photographs of the maids were shown to the family. A
house to house search was also conducted in Taimur Nagar and
surrounding areas as Savita had informed that her relatives
were residing there.
It was Kiro who led the investigators to Sarai Kale
Khan where the boy was first kept. However, the alleged
kidnappers left this hideout by April 25 evening.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 18:25