Alert locals help foil kidnapping bid in Malad

The Malad police on Sunday arrested a 28-year-old man while he was allegedly trying to kidnap two minor children in Malad (West).

The incident took place around 11.30am when the children were visiting the  Jai Durga Parmeshwari temple in the area. The accused, Mohamad Afsar Mohamad Attaulah, who is originally from Karnataka, came to the city four days ago.

According to the police, the two children — Onit, a four-year-old girl, and Mihir, a three-year-old boy —  were walking near the temple when Attaulah saw them and allegedly picked them up. He was leaving from the place when he was spotted by one of the eyewitnesses, who knew Onit. Attaulah tried to flee from the spot but people nabbed him and handed him over to the police.

“I saw Attaulah picking up Onit and another kid  and realised he was leaving the place. Since he was someone not known to the family, I stopped him and asked him where he was taking the kids, which he could not explain. Suspecting that he was trying to kidnap the kids, I alerted people nearby, who then caught him and handed him over to the police,” said Denuf, an eyewitness.

“The children were handed over to the parents. We have arrested Attaulah,” said additional commissioner of police Ramrao Pawar, North region.  “However, Attaulah in his statement to the police said that he saw the two kids crying and picked them up. He added that he was trying to search for their parents to hand them over,” a police officer said.