Pune: Woman Among 8 Persons Arrested For Selling Her Child For Rs 1 Lakh, Police Suspect Kidnapping Gang Active

Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 7th February 2022: The officials from Kothrud, Warje and Uttamnagar police stations of Pune city police have busted a gang and arrested eight persons including a woman who sold her four-year-old child for Rs one lakh.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Pournima Gaikwad said in a press conference that there is a possibility of a big link in the kidnapping of children and an investigation is underway.

The arrested persons have been identified as Priyanka Ganesh Pawar (mother of the boy), Zannat Bashir Sheikh, Reshma Sutar, all residents of Jalke Vasti in Kothrud, Tukaram Nimble of Varu in Maval taluka of Pune district, Chandrakala Mali and Bhanudas Mali of Borlegaon in Panvel taluka of Raigad district, Deepak Tukaram Mhatre and Sitabai Deepak Mhatre of Kelavane in Panvel taluka. A judicial magistrate court has remanded them in police custody till February 9.

According to police, Priyanka was finding it difficult to take care of two children after her husband abandoned her. She sold her four-year-old son to the Mali couple for Rs one lakh through middleman Nimble. Later, the Mali couple had sold the child for Rs 1.6 lakh to Mhatres. “We have handed over the child to his biological father”, informed DCP Gaikwad.

“The racket was exposed as Priyanka lodged FIR with Kothrud police station alleging that her son was kidnapped while she was returning home after buying vegetables on February 4. During the investigation, our team learnt that the boy was seen with her neighbour Zannat (called Bangdiwali Bhabhi in the locality). She was detained for questioning but she feigned ignorance regarding the whereabouts of the child. Meanwhile, policemen Akash Valmiki and Vishal Chowgule got CCTV footage showing Zannat with the child. After being confronted with evidence, she spilled the beans”, said DCP Gaikwad.

Police had formed nine teams to search for the accused persons. “We contacted Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Daudkar, in-charge of Panvel taluka police station and sought help in nabbing the Mali couple. He immediately sent a team led by API Palande to Borlegaon and Mali couple was detained. They had further sold the boy to Mhatres who were also detained and the child was rescued”, said ACP Rukmini Galande.

The investigation was conducted under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Amitabh Gupta, Additional Commissioner Dr Rajendra Dahale, DCP Pournima Gaikwad and ACP Rukmini Galande.

The team included Kothrud police station’s Senior Police Inspector Mahendra Jagtap, Inspector (Crime) Balasaheb Bade, API Vrushali Patil, Arti Khetmalis, PSI Kajol Yadav, Kisan Rathod, Ratikant Koli, Vikram Pawar, Nagraj Birajdar, Chaitanya Katkar, Kshirsagar; Senior Police Inspector Shankar Khatke, PSI Mundhe of Warje police station, and Senior Inspector Sunil Jaitapurkar, API Pawar of Uttamnagar police station.

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