Delhi: Man kidnaps 3 kids from neighbourhood, arrested

A 45-year-old man has been arrested by the South-East district police for kidnapping three children and taking them to Ludhiana.

Investigating officers suspect that the accused either took them to fulfil an emotional void as he had left his hometown and family or possibly for more sinister reasons.

According to the police, the accused has been identified as Ganesh Mehto, who hails from Madhubani, Bihar. In around July, he left his family, which includes his four children, and moved to Gurugram, where he worked as a cook. Around a month ago, he moved to New Friends Colony, where he lured the three children.

Police received a complaint on December 5 from a man stating that his younger brother and sister (twins) and a cousin, all 10-year-olds, had been missing since the evening of December 3. The man had last seen them at around 7 pm. Following this, police registered a case of kidnapping.

During investigation, footages from various CCTV cameras showed accompanied by one person at about 9 pm. Despite several raids at railway stations and bus stands, the accused and the children could not be found.

"Local intelligence played a significant role and after speaking to several persons, the accused was identified as Mehto who resided in Khizrabad village. Based on technical surveillance, the accused was traced in Ludhiana, Punjab. The police raided the JJ clusters of Vijay Nagar, Indira Colony in Ludhiana on Tuesday and rescued the three children from a house. The accused was arrested as well," said a senior police official.

During interrogation, the accused, Mehto revealed that he used to work as a mason in Bihar and came to Delhi to earn quick money. "The accused would lure the children by offering them sweets and even promised to buy them a cycle," said the officer.

The accused boarded a train from Delhi on December 4 along with the children and reached Pathankot, where he stayed for two days and then went to Ludhiana. Later, he rented a small house near the railway station in Indira Colony. He presented himself as the father of the children in the locality and started working as a labourer in the nearby vegetable market.

Luring Kids With Sweets

During interrogation, the accused, Mehto revealed that he used to work as a mason in Bihar and came to Delhi to earn quick money. “The accused would lure the children by offering them sweets and even promised to buy them a cycle,” said an officer