NEW DELHI: A 1-year-old child was snatched from her mother’s lap while he was sleeping on a pavement near Tagore Garden metro station in west Delhi by two motorcycle-borne criminals and sold to a woman in Bihar for Rs 3 lakhs, police said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Manish Kumar Gupta, a carpenter by profession, and Mohit Tiwari, were arrested along with the woman to whom the child was sold, they said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vichitra Veer said an information was received at Rajouri Garden Police Station on June 13 that two persons on a motorcycle kidnapped a one-year-old child near Tagore Garden metro station.
The woman told the cops that she used to sell goods on the street (pheri) and would sleep on the roadside at night, on the divider near Tagore Garden metro station. “While sleeping with the child, she felt someone grabbing her child. She tried to save him but failed as the criminals snatched the toddler away and fled on a motorcycle,” the DCP said.The police registered a case under relevant provisions of law and formed a team to nab the human traffickers.
During the investigation, the team scrutinised footage from over 100 CCTV cameras in the area and zeroed in on accused Manish Gupta, who was later apprehended. Co-accused Mohit Tiwari was also arrested on his instance from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh.
The accused revealed that the child was sold to a woman named Shobha Devi, a resident of Sitamarhi, Bihar. The infant was rescued during a raid at Shobha’s residence, and later, she confessed to purchasing the child from Manish Gupta for `. 3 lakhs, the police officer said.
Accused woman who bought infant nabbed: Police
The woman told the cops that she used to sell goods on the street and would sleep on the pavement at night, on the divider near Tagore Garden metro station.“While sleeping, she felt someone grabbing her child. She tried to save him but failed as the criminals snatched the toddler away and fled on a motorcycle,” police said and added that the accused as well as the woman who the infant was sold for `3 lakhs have been held.