Malad woman kidnaps neighbour's daughter, arrested

A 28-year-old woman was arrested by the Kurar police on Sunday for allegedly kidnapping a two and a half year-old girl from her neighbourhood when she was playing outside her house in Malad (East).

The accused, Ashadevi Saroj, took Monica Thakur, the girl, to her residence after luring her with an ice cream around 12.30pm on Saturday.

Not finding her, the family members of the girl panicked and they asked for their neighbours' help in searching for her. Later, they filed a case of kidnapping with the Kurar police.
Some locals informed the police that Saroj had a girl child sitting in her house. On searching her house, the police found the missing girl. Saroj told the police that she had two sons and was longing for a daughter. She also said that she brought the child home as she found her to be pretty.

"Saroj seemed to have slapped the child and burnt her hand with a hot stick. She was crying. Saroj also bought new clothes for her and took her pictures," said a police officer.

The Kurar police had to convince Saroj that she could keep the child. The child was later handed over to her parents while Saroj was arrested under section 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The child lives with her parents and two sisters at Azad Hind society in the Pimpripada area of Malad (East). Her father, Sanjay, 30, works as a security guard.